


Guns Knives and Fire

by LeagueOfSiege (orphan_account)



Series: The Past Leaves Scars [1]
Category: Tales Of Tyolamir
Genre: Blood, Drug Use, F/F, F/M, Gangs, Guns, Implied Sexual Assault, Multi, New York, Original Character(s), POV Third Person, Polyamory, Tales of Tyolamir - Freeform, Violence, city
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:08:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 97,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22202341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/LeagueOfSiege
Summary: The two most dangerous gangs in New York, the Banda’s and the Fedeltá’s, have the bitterest, most violent rivalry New York has seen. The son of Fedeltá’s leaders is secretly dating the daughter of the Banda’s leader. By chance, the two enter a bar at the same time while the ex-leader of Los Angeles's top gang is also there with her girlfriend, the only person of the four not involved in any gangs. When two get thrusted into the ongoing war between the Banda’s and Fedeltá’s, the four change eachother a lives forever.
Series: The Past Leaves Scars [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598191





	1. Chapter I: Olie

**Hey there, quick note from the author** **.**

**This story contains cursing, violence and possibly(this is a big possibly, there might not actually be this) sexual content. If I do decide to add sexual content chapters that contain it will be marked at the beginning of the chapter. Cursing and violence won't be marked though unless it's super graphic.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Rene**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Olie wasn't sure how it happened so quick. One second_ her and her girlfriend of four years, Astoria, were eating dinner at the bar, the next second, two members of the two deadliest gangs in the state were at each other's throats.

She paused, thinking about what lead up to this.

Astoria grinned at her in the mirror, green eyes gleaming as she drove down the streets of Rochester, New York, her reddish-brown hair blowing in the wind. They were headed to their favorite restaurant, a bar and grill simply titled The Chaos. Olie smiled back and hopped off Astoria's motorcycle as it pulled up on the curb. Astoria climbing off after her and stepped onto the sidewalk with Olie, her arm sliding around her waist. Olie smiled up at her, craning her head up to meet her gaze properly.

Their height difference made things a bit difficult sometimes, with Olie being 5'1 and Astoria towering over her at an astounding 6'7 but neither minded it.

Astoria smiled back and opened the door for her. Olie stepped inside, out of the cool night air and into the warmth of the bar, her hand subconsciously smoothing down her short dark brown hair. Astoria followed her in. The bar was mostly empty, save for a few people, and the two bartenders. Quantum and Riot Scheletro, distant cousins to each other. The two were polar opposites when it came to looks. Quantum was tall and bone-thin while Riot wasstockyand on the shorter side. Quantum smiled at them and Riot gave them a grin, his eyes hidden behind a dark tinted visor. They resumed their work, washing dishes and cleaning counters to prepare for the dinner rush.

Another notable person was Mikau, the only security guard. He was massive, he towered over Astoria and was also muscular to top it off. His gaze flicked over to them and he nodded, his mouth flitting into a brief smile before returning to a stoic expression.

Olie dragged Astoria to a booth in the corner and sat down across from her. Riot walked over to them after a few moments, pulling out a notepad from his pocket. He smiled at both of them.

"The usual?" They nodded and he shook his head a little, grinning.

"Predictable as always." He said amusedly, his head turning to look at them respectively. Astoria snorted and opened her mouth to reply when the jingle of the door sounded. The entire bar went silent and Riot looked up, the smile sliding off his face. Olie looked over at the door and saw two people walk in. The first was a tall, slim man with dark, shifty eyes. And the second person...Olie's jaw dropped when she saw her.

The tall and lanky woman that walked in was Irene Seymours, the girlfriend of Lloyd Yitzhaq. Both were part of the Banda gang, Irene being the daughter of the gang leader, Niall Seymours. The gang was one of the most dangerous ones in all of Rochester and possibly New York, rivaled only by one gang, the Fedeltá's.

Olie glanced at Astoria out of the corner of her eye and saw her eyes trailing down to the exposed strip of skin showing from Irene's crop top. She kicked her under the table and Astoria jumped, her knees slamming against the table. Irene's head snapped towards them at the noise and Olie's breath hitched in her throat out of shock and fear. Irene was all over the news constantly with her father being the gang leader, as well as her being suspected of several crimes. But the pictures and videos on the news didn't do her any justice. Her hair always looked black, but Olie saw up close that it was actually a dark, navy blue color.

Irene's piercing cerulean eyes widened slightly when they met Olie's gaze, widening further when they flittered over to Astoria. Irene swallowed and turned away, looking uncomfortable as her boyfriend dragged her over to the bar to order drinks for the two of them. Riot mumbled something to them and disappeared into the back. Olie turned back to Astoria, whose mouth was slightly open, still staring after Irene. Olie kicked her under the table again and she hissed when her knee slammed against the wood.

"Ow! Stop it!" She whined, rubbing her knee. Olie glared at her.

"Then stop staring!"

Astoria sputtered, waving her hands around incredulously.

"Do you _see who that is!?"_ She whisper-yelled. Olie nodded.

"Yes. It's a very famous and scary gang member and her less scary and not-as-famous boyfriend."

Astoria sighed. "Why aren't you as freaked out about this as I am?"

Olie shook her head. "Oh, I'm freaked out. I'm just dealing with it in my head." She tapped her finger against her head and smiled at Astoria. She facepalmed and let out a small groan.

Riot soon returned with their food and drinks skillfully balanced on one arm. They thanked him and he gave them a grin before returning to Quantum's side again, the tall man looking slightly nervous at Irene and Lloyd's presence. Olie stirred her drink, looking down at it.

"What if she's here to kill someone?" Astoria said quietly. Olie hummed.

"She could be. Orrr she might just be having dinner with her boyfriend and getting drunk at the bar. Like most of the twenty-one-year-olds around here."

Astoria grunted and turned to her food, picking at it. They both looked up when a person loomed over them. Olie choked on her drink when she realized who it was and started coughing.

"Shit. I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Irene looked at her worriedly as she coughed. Olie waved her off.

_No. You're too close. Please back up before I have a heart atta-_

"I'm...fine..." She wheezed out, taking a sip of the very drink that just attempted to murder her. Irene relaxed slightly, her gaze still concerned. Astoria's eyes darted back and forth between her and Irene.

"So...what brings you to this side of town...?" Astoria asked hesitantly, looking uncomfortable. Irene shrugged and shoved her hands in the pockets of her thin jacket.

"My boyfriend wanted to come here for drinks. I'm not big on alcohol but this place seemed nice so, I thought why not?" She replied, shifting her weight. Her gaze briefly flicked over to Lloyd, cringing a little as she watched him toss back his third shot.

"Right...oh! I'm Astoria by the way, this is my girlfriend, Olie." Astoria offered her a hand. Irene shook it and smiled a little, turning to Olie.

"My names Irene."

Olie spoke up. "Oh, we know." Irene raised an eyebrow at her and she quickly backtracked.

"I-I mean you're always on the news, and I see you on there a lot and on the tv and the news and YoTub and I'm sorry I swear I'm not a creepy stalker I-" Irene burst out laughing and Ollie turned red, looking down at her drink again.

She looked up shyly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Irene smiled at her, laughter in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I know what you mean." She reassured her. Olie took a deep breath and nodded, glancing over at Astoria. She smiled a little at her and reached under the table to take her hand, squeezing it gently. Olie gave her a grateful smile, painfully aware of Irene's hand on her shoulder.

The door to The Chaos swung open again and the bar went deadly silent, everything seemed to freeze. Irene stepped to the side and Olie got a view of who walked in. _Oh god._

Malakai Calhoun, son of the Fedeltá's leaders, Matteo and Alejandra Calhoun. He was around average height with a stocky build. He looked around, his expression was stoic. She fidgeted, he was known for his explosive temper and the constant brutal fights he got into.

Quantum and Riot were the only ones who didn't seem intimidated or shocked at his presence. They waved to him and he gave them a nod, his eyes flickering to Mikau. Mikau jerked his head at him and Malakai returned the favor.

Lloyd suddenly stood up and stormed over to Irene aggressively.

"C'mon. We leaving." He grunted, his eyes flashing over to Malakai, who was now staring at the two.

"We just got here, and I was talking to these two," Irene replied, and edge in her voice as she spoke to him. Lloyd's eyes narrowed and he looked from Olie to Astoria. She met his gaze defiantly and he sneered at her, making Irene hit him on the arm, her gaze darkening.

"You really wan' stay around with _him_ here?" He spat, fidgeting. Malakai started walking towards them.

"He's not doing anything wrong right now, it's not a big deal." Irene snapped, looking annoyed at her boyfriend.

Olie looked over at Astoria, feeling worried as she felt the tension mounting in the room. Astoria's expression was tense, her eyes darting between the three as Malakai stopped in front of Irene and Lloyd.

Malakai's eyes shifted between the couple, his hands in the pockets of his hooded leather jacket. Up close, Olie saw a deep, white scar on his forehead, standing out starkly against his tan skin. It made her think of rocks for some reason.

"You know...kind of a dick move to talk about me like I'm not here..." Malakai said, his low voice showing little emotion.

"I didn't say nothin' about you! You needa mind ya own damn business." Lloyd snapped back, stepping forward to get in his face. Malakai's eyes narrowed, a humorless smirk crossing his face.

"Shut the hell up. I know when I'm being talked about, you're as subtle as you are a good boyfriend." With that, Malakai turned and started walking back to the bar. Irene darted forwards and stood in front of him, staring down at him due to their small but noticeable height difference. He paused, scratching his head boredly, ruffling his long, dark red-brown hair.

"What?"

She glared at him. "You know exactly what. I told you that the next time you disrespected my boyfriend, there'd be trouble."

And so, here they were. The present time. Olie swallowed nervously, she had thought over the events that lead up to this and now she had to face the mounting tension. Astoria stood up and slid into the booth next to her as Malakai and Irene began arguing with each other loudly. Lloyd walked over and joined in the argument.

Olie leaned over to Astoria's ear. "What if they've got guns?"

Her lip twitched, her eyes not straying away from the argument. "We break the window and haul ass."

Olie peered around her as the door opened again, Lloyd storming outside as Irene and Malakai began full-on shouting at each other.

"Do you want to step in the back? 'Cause I can, I got no problem with that." Malakai threw his hands in the air, his golden-brown eyes blazing, the stoic expression replaced with a furious one. 

"Alright, fine! Let's go then." Irene snapped back, storming towards the dark hallway that presumably leads to a back exit. Malakai followed after her, his hands clenched into fists.

Olie looked around, most people had left the bar since Irene first walked in, leaving the place almost completely deserted. _Wow..._ Astoria and Olie sat in silence for a few moments.

"I can't fucking believe that just happened. I've lived here for 21 years, practically grew up seeing those two everywhere on TV but never once in real life and now bam. Both of them in here at once." Astoria murmured, sliding out of the booth to go back to her side. Olie nodded slowly.

"That was...intense. I'm glad they didn't pull their guns or something, hah..." She trailed off, looking down at her food.

"Y'know, I don't think I want this anymore."

Astoria nodded in agreement, waving down Riot.

"Yeah...let's just go home."


	2. Chapter II: Malakai

**En** **ter Alex.**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Malakai walked after Irene, she threw open the door that led_ to the alley behind The Chaos. She stepped outside and he slammed the door behind them before turning to face her. He gave her an icy look for several moments and she returned it, crossing her arms. He walked towards her threateningly. She looked unimpressed when he stopped about an inch away from her.

"What are you doing down here?" He said quietly.

"I could ask you the same thing, Kai." She shot back. They stared at each other for a few moments before Malakai's mouth broke into a grin, his posture relaxing. She grinned back and he wrapped her in a tight hug.

"God, I missed you." He murmured. She hugged him back and let out a sigh.

"I missed you too, it's been a couple weeks since we've last talked." She replied, pulling away from the hug to look at him. He nodded.

"Yeah...how've you been?" He leaned against the alley wall, ignoring the suspicious stains on it. The city was gross, he learned not to care about suspicious stains or smells. Irene shrugged, glancing either way down the alley.

"Shitty. Lloyd's annoying, my dad won't stop bothering me about 'not doing my duty as his daughter'." She put air quotes around the words and rolled her eyes.

Malakai snorted. "When is Lloyd not annoying? He's a drug addicted, arrogant, self-centered idiot."

She snorted and raised an eyebrow at him. "Where'd all that come from?"

He shrugged, looking away. "Nowhere...it's just...facts." He grunted. She walked over to him and crossed her arms.

"You sure it's not jealousy?" He rubbed his neck, feeling his skin flush. He eventually met her gaze and sighed.

"Okay...maybe a _little_." He said quietly. Irene shook her head and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I wouldn't be with him if I had a say in the matter."

"It's such bullshit though, y'know? Our parents treat us like we'rekids but like damn, we're twenty-fucking-one." He complained, throwing his hands up in the air. Irene sighed.

"I know, I know. But...we can't really leave. It's not possible, they'll send people after us." She reached for his hand and held it. He looked down at their joined hands and sighed. He saw a bruise on her stomach and paused.

"...what happened?" He pointed to the mark and she looked down, her hand tugging her jacket over it.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

He turned to her and she glanced away, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. He sighed and leaned in to kiss her when the door slammed open. They jumped away from each other and Malakai hissed when his back slammed against the wall. Irene glanced at him worriedly before turning to face Lloyd, who was standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing and hazy.

"What the fuck you doin' back here, huh?" He glared at Irene and began walking towards her.

"None of your business." She hissed back, glaring at him defiantly. He store at her for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing before he turned to Malakai.

"And you? What are you doing back here with her? You trying to make a move on her or somethin'?" He spat, walking towards him. He stood in front of Malakai and loomed over him. Malakai stared back, his eyes narrowing.

"Back up." He said coldly, ignoring his accusations.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, prick." Lloyd snapped, shoving him. Malakai lunged in an instant and grabbed his arm, twisting it painfully behind his back. He pushed Lloyd forward, bending him over a dumpster.

" _I wasn't asking_." He released him and walked out of the alley, his hands in his pockets. A fist slammed into the back of his head and he stumbled, almost slamming into a street lamp. He turned around and raised his fists. Lloyd glared at him.

"Cheap shot, asshole. You really so pathetic that you can only get hits when my back is turned?" Malakai taunted him. They began circling each other.

Malakai lunged and swung at him with his left hand, diverting his attention before swinging with his right. Lloyd blocked his left hand but his other hand slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling to the ground. Malakai nearly jumped on him when he saw Irene giving him a pleading look, silently telling him to let it go.

Lloyd got to his feet and punched him square in the nose. He grunted and gripped his nose, feeling blood pour from it. _Shit...how am I gonna explain that to my parents...?_ Lloyd swung again and hit him on the cheek, making him stumble. He ducked under Lloyd's arm when he swung and punched him in the ribs twice. Lloyd bent over, gasping as the breath was knocked from his lungs.

Malakai grabbed his head and smashed it into his knee with a _crack!_ Lloyd yelled and swung blindly, clumsily punching him in the chest. Malakai punched him between the eyes as hard as he could and Lloyd fell back. He lunged to jump on him and Lloyd raised his leg and kicked him. He wheezed and clutched his stomach, breathing heavily. They glared at eachother, bleeding and battered.

Two cars suddenly drove up on either side of the road and screeched to a halt before he could retaliate on Lloyd. The doors swung open and a man hopped out of each car.

"Malakai Calhoun get'cher ass in that car right now." A tall skinny man ordered, his voice low with rage. Malakai glanced at Irene's father who was waving his daughter over while yelling at Lloyd.

"Dumbass! We have a meeting with them tonight. Why are you fighting him!?

Niall grabbed Lloyd and hauled him over to his sleek black mustang, practically throwing him into the backseat. Irene slunk after them, glancing worriedly at Malakai. He met her gaze until his father smacked him up upside the head.

"Did you hear me!?" Matteo bellowed at him. He ignored him and opened the passenger door to his father's car. He sat inside and kept holding his nose as his father got in the car, furiously slamming the door shut.

"For fucks sake Malakai, you can't go one week without gettin' in a damn fight. You needa learn to keep that temper of yours in check until we need it, I thought we raised you better than this..." Matteo started ranting as he drive towards their house. He ignored him and stared out the window, grunting every now and then to pretend he was listening.

He tapped his fingers impatiently against his thigh as they pulled up to the gate that barred their neighborhood. _This meeting better go fucking good or I'm gonna lose it..._ He thought to himself as his dad spoke shortly to the guard. The gates opened and Matteo quickly drove through them, shooting towards the end of the neighborhood.

"Go straight to your room and get dressed. If you look like shit I'll knock your lights out, remember you're representing me, your mother, and our gang. You gotta look good and not like you were raised in a damn barn, aight?" Matteo spoke when they pulled around the circular driveway, nearly crashing into the fountain at the center of it.

"Yes father." Malakai responded, practically jumping out of the car before it was fully stopped. He ran up the steps and jammed his key into the keyhole. The door opened and he walked inside before going straight up the spiral stairs to his room.

"Evening, Malakai." His mother's voice made him pause, one step away from entering his room. He sighed and turned to look down at her. Alejandra's dark brown eyes examined him with a neutral expression. A finger absentmindedly twirled her long, wavy light brown hair around her tan finger.

"Evening, mother." He grunted, glancing longingly towards his room.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry? You moved so quick you almost ran over your poor old mother. And you didn't even greet me." He turned away at her words, gritting his teeth.

"I'm sorry. Dad told me to go get ready for the meeting with the Banda's tonight. He told me not to make us late." He replied, keeping his voice monotone.

His mother hummed. "Hm. Well, go on then. And clean that blood off your face, there better not be any blood on the carpet."

He walked into his room and shut the door behind him and leaned against it. _Been around them ten minutes and I already wanna smash something._ He walked into his bathroom and grabbed a roll of toilet paper. He ran a wad of it under cold water and cleaned off the dried blood gently. He store at himself in the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair quickly.

He walked out of the bathroomand walked over to his closet, looking at the clothes in there. He owned about seven shirts, all the same thing. A dark red t-shirt. Malakai dropped his head against the wall. _Great, looks like now I gotta borrow something from my dad..._

Malakai tugged at the collar of his shirt, it was way too tight and he _hated_ collared shirts. The collars made his neck itch. He was glad they at least let him keep his skinny jeans and sneakers on. His hooded leather jacket was folded on his lap.

He looked out the window and froze as they pulled up to a large house.

"Why are we at Alex's house...?" He said, staring out the window.

"She's going as your date, I don't want the Banda's thinking my son can't get a girl." Matteo responded, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as the car halted in front of the house.

"Yeah, so bringing my ex girlfriend from _seven_ years ago is a great idea. It's already bad enough I have to work with her." Malakai replied, unable to keep the edge from his voice.

"Malakai, don't you dare take that tone of voice with your father. She's a lovely girl and Will's daughter." His mother scolded him.

"So? We broke up for a reason, mom. Why'd you guys have to pick Alex of all people _._ I'd take _anyone_ else."

"You're gonna be leader of this gang one day. You need to learn you have to do shit you don't want to for the good of the gang and our reputation. Don't fuck this up." His father turned in his seat and gave him an icy look, his golden eyes dark. Malakai met his gaze as he kept talking, refusing to look away or respond.

"When are you gonna get a girlfriend anyway? You gotta continue the bloodline and preserve it, you can't do that without a girl. It's your duty as my son and as a member of the Fedeltá's." Matteo turned around as Alex walked out of her house. Malakai shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, resisting the urge to argue that he did in fact have a girlfriend.

They'd kill him if they knew who she was though. Being with the daughter of their biggest rival was was one of the worst things he could do in their eyes. He was strictly ordered to never talk to the Banda's or any other gang members outside of their gang unless it was for business.

"Open the door for her." Alejandra ordered as Alex approached their car. He leaned over and opened the door, internally cringing as Alex gave him a sickeningly sweet smile.

"What a gentlemen..." She slid into the car next to him and neatly folded her hands on her lap.

"My dad's taking his car, he said he'll meet you there." Alex said to Matteo as he started driving to The Cure, a fancy French restaurant. He nodded, glancing at her briefly in the rear view mirror.

Alex made small talk with his parents as they drove, Malakai completely ignoring the three of them in favor of staring out the window at the dark streets of the city. Alex suddenly set a hand on his thigh and he jumped, nearly slamming against the door in his haste to get away from her hand. _No, no. Hands off. Nope._

He stared at her hand, before slowly reaching for it. He rigidly grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers, feeling immensely disgusted. _Anything to get her hand off my thigh. Anything's better than that._ He thought to himself, swallowing as he forced himself to turn and give her an extremely fake smile. She beamed back and he turned away when the car stopped in front of The Cure.

He threw open the door, nearly breaking it in the process. "Hey, easy on the door, I payed a lot for this Bugatti!" His father yelled at him. Malakai didn't bother to respond, impatiently waiting as Alex stepped out of the car. He shut the door behind her and reluctantly took her hand.

He glanced at her father, Will as he walked over, talking quietly to his parents. Matteo turned to Malakai and gave him a questioning look. Malakai casually glanced around before reaching into his pocket. His hand closed around the grip of a pistol. He nodded to his father as Niall's car drove up.

_Hope nothing goes wrong tonight._


	3. Chapter III: Irene

**Enjoy.  
  
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_"Do you have your gun?" Was the first thing her father asked when she_ slid into the back seat of their car. She nodded and tensed up when Lloyd wrapped an arm around her waist. His dad, Conner Yitzhaq slid into the front seat and the car sped off to The Cure.

"How ya doin'?" Lloyd asked her, leaning close to her ear. She shuddered when she felt his breath on her neck and swallowed.

"Good." She said shortly, resisting the urge to shove him or move away. He nodded and smirked a little, his thumb rubbing her hip. _This car ride can't be over fast enough..._ She messed with the front of her jacket, staring down at her lap.

"I thought I told you to cover that up." Lloyd said softly, pointing with his thumb to the mark on her stomach. She tended up before nodding and pulling her jacket over the mark, mumbling a short apology.

"Be careful next time. Don't want anyone seeing that and getting any ideas, huh?" Lloyd's voice changed ominously and she gritted her teeth, nodding again.

"Good." He moved his arm off her and reached into his pocket, presumably feeling for the concealed gun there. She relaxed now that his arm was off her.

The car pulled up to the restaurant and she opened the door, quickly stepping out. She looked around, glancing at Matteo, Will, and Alejandra before her gaze locked on Alex and Malakai. He was giving her a pleading look as Alex wrapped her arm around his and leaned on him. She was torn between laughing at his expression and resisting the urge to walk over and punch Alex right in the nose.

She went over to them, Lloyd walking closely next to her, his arm sliding around her waist. He gave Malakai a challenging look. Malakai returned it, his eyes narrowing. Lloyd had two purple bruises forming on his face and Malakai's nose looked the slightest bit crooked. Regardless, they both kept glaring at each other, an unspoken challenge in the air. Alex glanced between the two, an eyebrow raised and Irene cleared her throat.

"So uh...this weather is pretty...cold...y'know?" She said, letting out a small nervous laugh when all three of them turned to her. Alex scoffed, rolling her green eyes.

"No shit, dumbass." She sneered. Lloyd nodded.

"It's winter, of course it's cold. What'd you think it was gonna be hot?" He grunted.

"Man, shut up. She's just trying to make this less awkward, you don' gotta be a dick about it." Malakai interjected, scooting away from Alex. Lloyd opened his mouth to respond, his eyes blazing, when their parents called them.

"Come on guys, we have a reservation. I don't wanna be late." Matteo called as he opened the door, waving everyone into the restaurant. Lloyd and Alex walked ahead without a word and Malakai walked next to Irene. His father grabbed his shoulder as he walked past and leaned into his ear.

" _I know you hate Irene but sit next to her and talk. We need this to go smooth and the best way to get to Niall is by being good to his daughter."_ He whispered. Irene held back a laugh and kept walking, pretending she hadn't heard anything.

She glanced around the restaurant, it was way too fancy for her taste. _At least my dad didn't force me to change my clothes._ She glanced at Malakai as he stood next to her, looking uncomfortable and agitated in the tight collared shirt that obviously wasn't his.

"You look like you're gonna bust out of that shirt and kill someone at the same time." She said quietly to him, laughter in her voice. He glared at her and shook his head.

"I _feel_ like I'm gonna." He grumbled, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. Matteo looked at his watch impatiently as they waited behind the hostess stand.

"Five minutes late, bullshit." He complained, looking around the mostly empty restaurant.

"Where's the staff? There's no one here...how unprofessional..." Alejandra murmured, following her husband's gaze. A man hurriedly walked out of the back room, his fingers adjusting the tie around his neck nervously.

"My deepest apologies, ladies and gentlemen. May I have a name?" He said, looking down at the tablet on his stand.

"You shoulda been here seven minutes ago! We don't got all day, when I put down the time for 7:30 I wanna be seated at 7:30! Not 7:37, you know how this makes me look? Like a dumba-"

"Dad. Let it go. He's here now, the sooner we let him do his job, the sooner we can discuss important matters." Malakai interrupted Matteo, his voice changing to the clipped voice he used around his parents. Matteo gave his son a withering look before turning back to the man behind the hostess stand, who shot Malakai a grateful look.

"Last name Calhoun. Stop looking at my son like that, freak." Matteo spat. The man stared at him when he said the name and went pale, presumably realizing who they all were. He looked down and tapped a few things on the tablet before looking up.

"Ah...uh, right this way." He hurriedly walked further into the small restaurant and gestured to a large table with exactly nine chairs. The group followed after him and sat down, Matteo apologizing to Niall.

"Normally the service is great here, not sure what they were doin' today. Fuckin' around..." Irene tuned him out as she walked to the last chair at the end of the table. Malakai walked over and pulled the chair out for her, offering her a small half smile. She smiled back and sat down.

"Thank you, Malakai."

He nodded and pulled out his own chair, completely ignoring Alex as she gave Irene a deadly glare before sitting on his other side. Alejandra glared at her son across the table, her mouth twitching. He met her gaze until she turned away to talk with Will and Connor.

Irene looked around, spotting the owners of The Chaos, Quantum and Riot, along with the security guard, Mikau, a few booths away.

Quantum spotted her and gave her a shy wave, smiling a little. Riot and Mikau turned and Mikau nodded while Riot flashed her a small grin. She smiled back at them. Riot pulled down his visor, revealing one dull, blind grey eye. His right eye was a piercing blue color. He winked at Malakai and pulled his shades back up.

Irene knew the three were lower ranking members of the Fedeltá's, Malakai had mentioned it to her a while ago. She was actually quite glad when Lloyd took her out to The Chaos. Malakai had told her only good things about the three and the bar.

She turned away as Lloyd sat across from her, having oddly disappeared for a few minutes. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Malakai. They darted to Irene and he opened his mouth to say something before closing it.

Malakai stood up and mumbled he had to go to the bathroom. As he stood, a woman walked over, her arms filled with menus. He turned around and slammed right into her. She nearly dropped all the menus and fell over. Malakai reached out quickly and steadied her, one hand

supporting the menus.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" He asked, his tone concerned. Irene looked at the girl and realized it was one of the women from The Chaos. _What was her name...? Olie? Yeah, that sounds about right._ Olie looked away from the menus to look up at him and froze, her blue eyes widening. Her mouth opened and she stared at him with a look of pure shock and slight fear.

"...are you okay?" He asked her, not seeming too surprised by her reaction. Being on the news constantly for gang activity garnered that sort of reaction from most people. She shook her head and shut her mouth.

"I-I'm so sorry Malakai, I didn't see you there and I was already taking so long to get here, I was in a hurry and I didn't mean to bump into you. I'm so sorry, it was an accid..." Her eyes locked on his hand when he set it on her shoulder gently and she faltered. He laughed quietly, giving her a small genuine smile. "...accident..." she mumbled, slowly turning to face him again.

"It's alright, really. I should've watched where I was going, it's my fault." He slid his hand off her shoulder slowly and deliberately.

She nodded and blinked, staring at him for a few more seconds. He looked back at her and the two locked eyes for several moments.

"Ay, you gonna give us our menus or what?" Matteo called impatiently to Olie. She slowly turned to Matteo and shook her head again, apologizing profusely and setting the menus down in front of everyone hurriedly.

Irene snorted as she noticed the blush on her face. She turned to Malakai and saw him running his fingers through his hair, his gaze still locked on Olie as he walked away. He smacked into a wall and finally turned away, rubbing his head. Irene slapped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Olie set the last menu down in front of her and smiled at her.

"Oh, hi Irene." Olie have her a shaky smile. She smiled back reassuringly.

"Hey, how are you?" She asked, opening her menu up without taking her eyes off her.

"Stressed, hah. Most of the other people that work here called in sick today. It's only me and a few other guys running _everything_." She replied, messing with her short, brown hair for a second. Irene nodded sympathetically.

"That sucks." She said, absentmindedly flipping through the menu without looking at it. Olie nodded before whipping out a notepad.

"Oh! Uh, what would you like to drink?" Irene glanced at the menu and scanned the drinks.

"Yo, babe. Hurry up." Lloyd drawled, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Yeah, I'm thirsty." Alex complained. _Yeah, thirsty to get in Kai's pants._

Olie glanced between the two, her expression darkened dramatically and Irene swallowed audibly at the expression. _Damn._ She cleared her throat and Olie's expression snapped back to normal, she smiled at Irene.

"I'll just have a sprite. I gotta go to the bathroom." She smiled back at Olie and stood up, walking after where Malakai disappeared off to. _Assholes._ She mentally cursed at Lloyd and Alex, rolling her eyes.

She glanced around the restaurant, seeing it was now empty save for their group, Riot's, and a red-haired woman sitting alone at a table, her back turned to Irene. She turned to the men's bathroom and walked inside slowly.

"Kai? You in here?" She called quietly, hoping no one else was there except the two of them. She spotted him, leaning on his palms on the sink, he was glaring at himself in the mirror. He looked at her and nodded, his expression relaxing.

"Yeah, what are you doing in here?" He raised an eyebrow, turning around to lean back on his elbows. She looked down, realizing his shirt was completely unbuttoned, exposing his chest.

"Oh, sorry. Uh...how- uh, is it going out there? Everyone being d-dicks?" He asked, his hands fumbling with his shirt as he went to button it up again. She blinked and started, looking up at his face.

"Abs...absolutely! Yeah, dicks." She nodded. He cleared his throat and gave up trying to button his shirt after messing with it.

"Ah...sorry. This shirt was choking me so I went here to...breathe." He smiled sheepishly at her. She snorted and walked over to him, hopping up on the counter next to him.

"Don't worry, I'm not complaining. It's a nice view" She smiled at him. Malakai ran his fingers through his hair, a small grin on his face.

"Hah. Thanks." He reached for her hand and held it, interlocking their fingers. They met each others eyes and Kai started leaning in when someone suddenly walked into the bathroom. They both froze and slowly turned towards the person.

Quantum looked at the two of them, his mismatched eyes wide, one was a dark blue, almost purple color, while the other was a bright red-brown.

"U-uh. I'm so sorry, am I interrupting something? I'm just gonna g-" Malakai lunged and grabbed him in a headlock before he could leave.

"Ass. What are you doing in here?" His voice held a note of affection despite his actions.

"G-going to the bathroom?" Quantum replied, awkwardly bent over due to the height difference and position. Irene laughed and hopped off the counter, walking over to the two.

"Oh. Yeah." Malakai released him and ruffled his platinum hair.

"I'd uh, ask what you two were doing but I don't think I want to know." Quantum started backing up but Malakai grabbed his shirt.

"We weren't doing anything, I just needed to breathe. This shirt's tight as hell." He gestured to the shirt.

Quantum looked down and cleared his throat, flushing faintly.

"I uh. I saw. Please button it back up." He looked away pointedly. Malakai rolled his eyes and buttoned it up properly this time.

"Oh yeah. Your dad's getting impatient. You better head out there." Quantum spoke to him before disappearing into a stall.

"Of course he is...say anything about this to anyone and you're dead" Malakai called as he walked out of the bathroom. Quantum made a 'hhh' noise in response. She followed after him and froze when she heard yelling coming from their table. She recognized Matteo's voice and another woman's that sounded vaguely familiar. They both exchanged looks and reached into their pockets.

_We leave for five minutes._

She took a deep breath and ran over to the yelling, prepared to shoot or be shot. 


	4. Chapter IV: Astoria

**Merry Christmas Eve everyone, enjoy.**

_Astoria's fingers twitched as she locked her eyes on the man yelling at her girlfriend_. Confronting Matteo Calhoun was a bad idea. Confronting him with several members of his gang and said gang's most bitter rivals was basically asking to get shot. But...  
  
The man had been harassing Olie since she first walked up to their table. He yelled at her for being too slow to take everyone's order, and commented negatively on her every time she walked over. To Olie's credit, she was taking it all with a smile, which seemed to piss him off further.

"Nah, nah, nah. Shut the fuck up. Listen to me, aight?" Astoria stood up and began walking towards them, fists clenched, her eyes narrowed. She didn't know why he was yelling at Olie, she didn't care. All she cared about was closing his mouth. _He's lucky I don't have my gun on me._

"Hey." She cut into his ranting, standing behind Olie. Olie turned to her, her expression dark. She wrapped her arms around her before looking at Matteo.

"Who the hell are y-" "Astoria, pleasure to _fucking_ meet you." She interrupted him again, giving him a fake smile. His eyes narrowed at her name and Niall spoke before he could say anything.

"Aye. We got better shit to talk about. Or you wanna sit

here and yell at women some more? I know you enjoy that as a pastime, but shit. I came here to discuss issues between your guys and mine." Niall ran his fingers through his short black hair.

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean? If I wanna yell at a dumbass bitch for being a dumbass bitch I will."

Astoria lost her temper. "Call her that again and I'll _kick your fucking ass!"_

Matteo stood up slowly and walked towards her. She glared down at him, resisting the urge to flinch at his icy gaze. Olie moved out of the hug and stood next to her, her fingernails digging into her forearm.

"Dad? What's going o-woah." Astoria turned around as a vaguely familiar voice sounded behind her. Malakai stared at her, his mouth opening. Irene, who was standing next to him, looked tense. She shut his jaw and looked at Astoria, her eyes widening.

"Holy fuck you're amazingly tall." If it was any other situation she would've been surprised that Malakai Calhoun of all people said that to her. _'Amazingly'? Would've thought he'd say something like freakishly..._

She shrugged, deciding to ignore Matteo for the time being, as him and Niall were now in a heated argument with each other behind them.

"Well, I mean...you're 5'7 right? And you're...5'10?" She pointed to Malakai and Irene respectively. _I'm making small talk with two of the most dangerous people in the state while their equally dangerous families argue behind us. All I wanted was dinner and to visit my girlfriend._

Malakai's eyes narrowed. "...how exactly do you know that?"

"Have you ever looked yourselves up? You have your own quickipedia pages." Olie chimed in, pulling out her phone and gesturing to it. He looked between the two of them.

"...what the fuck?"

Irene snorted, shaking her head. "We're kinda famous, K-Malakai."

He grunted, shaking his head. "Huh."

"Right. So anyway, I'm a foot taller than you." Astoria continued. His eyes widened. He let out a small 'wow'.

"What's your name? You already know mine and I assume you know Irene's..." He jerked his head at Irene.

"Astoria." She nodded to him. His eyes narrowed, looking like his father for a few seconds.

"That name sounds familiar...matter of fact you _look_ familiar..." He murmured. She felt a cold chill go down her spine and she glanced at Olie, feeling her tense up slightly. Before anyone could say anything else, the arguing behind them got dramatically louder as Alejandra, Will, and Connor jumped into it.

Malakai's expression snapped into the stoic one she always saw him wearing on TV, any emotions he just showed vanishing. Irene flashed them a look and mouthed 'go over there', jerking her thumb at a massive table nearby . She turned back to the argument, her expression tightening. Astoria grabbed Olie's arm and dragged her towards the table.

"This is bad. Pretty fuckin' bad." Astoria mumbled, watching as Riot and Mikau stood up from their table and stood nearby, their hands casually in their pockets. Quantum walked back from the bathrooms and joined them, fidgeting nervously, his eyes wide.

She turned to Olie and grabbed her shoulders. Olie looked at her, her jaw clenched. Her blue eyes were nervous but steady and clear.

"Do you think they'll draw...?" She whispered. Astoria sniffed, glancing behind her to listen in on the argument instead of replying immediately.

"Bullshit! I know your assholes have been dealing in our territory, Seymour! Don't you _dare_ an' lie to me. I'll blow your fuckin' brains out and then your daughters too." Matteo's hand reached into his pocket in a flash. Astoria grabbed the table they were standing behind in an instant and flipped it on its side before tackling Olie to the floor behind it.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Noise exploded from the table, gunshots and yells. The unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground. She blocked out the sound and wrapped her arms around Olie, feeling her breathing quicken in terror. She focused on her girlfriend, hearing her breathing shallowly. She pulled away and looked at her, her blue eyes were distant and glassy.

Astoria almost passed out when two people suddenly dove behind their table. A third leaped over the top and tucked into a neat roll, landing in a crouch. Mikau looked around, covering them as Riot and Quantum got on either side of Astoria and Olie.

"Hey there kiddos. We're gonna get you outta here, alrighty? Alrighty." Riot spoke quickly, grinning despite the sweat rolling down his face and the panic creeping into his voice. Quantum scanned to two of them.

"Are either of you inured? Need medical assistance?" He spoke so fast he didn't stutter once. Astoria shook her head, forcing herself to calm down. Quantum nodded and stood up in a crouch, Riot followed and tugged on Astoria's jumper. She stood up, dragging Olie with her.

"Go. We're clear for no-" _Bang! Bang! Bang! Crack!_ The glass window of the restaurant shattered as several gunshots were fired through it.

"We'll cover you. When you go outside the restaurant there's an alley directly on your left, you're gonna see a car there. Get in and _don't move."_ With that, Riot and Quantum stood up and began firing shots over the table. Mikau pocketed his gun and ran with Olie and Astoria as the two darted towards the entrance of the restaurant. Astoria threw the door open and glanced inside as Olie ran out.

It was completely silent in the building for a few moments, she could see a bloody body on the floor, where both gangs were previously sitting. Behind the flipped table sat Riot, Malakai, and Quantum. Mikau gave her a nudge and clapped his hand onto hers, curling his fingers to slip a car key into her hand.

"T-thank you." She said shakily, turning around and running around the corner into the alley. Astoria almost slammed into Olie as she rounded the corner. Olie grabbed the front of her shirt and started speaking so fast she couldn't understand a word.

"Olie, shh. We gotta find the car..." She trailed off as she spotted a pure black Tesla, the windows were tinted so much she couldn't see in them.

"Fuck..." She stared at the car before running to it and unlocking it with a click of a button on the key. Her eyes widened as the doors opened up, they raised above the car. _Winged doors..._ She ogled at the wings before jumping as gunshots sounded again. She grabbed Olie and practically threw her into the backseat before climbing in herself. She hit the lock button on the keys and they slammed closed extremely quick.

"Damn, you didn't have to throw me in here, Story..." Olie complained. Astoria sighed and dropped her head into her hands.

"Sorry I didn't want you to get hurt." She said lowly, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice. Olie sighed and pressed against her side.

"I get it...this is...crazy..." She laughed humorlessly. Astoria raised her head and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers.

"It is...just when I thought I finally left everything gang related behind...here we are. Right next to a fucking gang shootout." Astoria muttered bitterly, staring down at the perfectly clean carpet of the car. Olie nodded, not saying anything.

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Astoria looked around the car and glanced in the back. The seats in the very back of the car were removed, leaving a wide empty space open. _I...don't think I want to know why they did that to this car._ She turned away and looked at the two seats in the front. Everything there looked normal, except for the steering wheel. In the center, there was a dark blue panther head roaring. The symbol of the Fedeltá gang.

She took a deep breath and paused as she heard police sirens in the distance. She fidgeted and exchanged worried looks with Olie. Suddenly, two people ran up on either side of the car in a blur. Malakai reached into his pocket rapidly, his eyes wide with panic as he searched his pockets.

"Shit! Do you have my key? Where the fuck did he..." He looked in the car and store directly at Astoria, his expression darkening into one of the most furious expressions she had ever seen on a person. Without waiting for him to say anything, she hit the unlock button and the doors jerked open, slamming Malakai in the chest.

"God fuckin-" He wheezed, stumbling the car. There was a deep gash on his forehead and one hand was gripping his stomach, blood seeped out from his fingers. Irene jumped in after him.

"You are not driving. Get in the back seat." She yelled at him, her eyes glaring with worry.

"No time. Cops comin'..." He turned to Astoria, his angry expression replaced by a strained one.

"Keys..." She hurriedly passes them to him without thinking and he shoved them in the ignition.

"Yo...seatbelts..." Malakai slurred, sloppily putting his on.

"Wh-what!? We're not staying in your car." Astoria began protesting.

"Put...put it on. We gotta go. You two can't leave now, my dad's...he's hunting you guys. He doesn't like...witnesses." Malakai replied, shaking himself.

Irene kept glaring at him and he purposefully ignored her gaze. Astoria exchanged glances with Olie before reluctantly putting her seatbelt on, Olie folllowig suit. He turned and gave Irene a pointed look. She shook her head and put hers on and he shot off out of the alley, in the opposite direction of the sirens.

"DID YOU GET FUCKING SHOT!?" She suddenly shouted, making him jump and slam his head against the roof.

"Oh my fuck- _yes_. Your asshole of a boyfriend shot me and then fuckin' pistol-whipped me." He gestured to the gash on his forehead, fidgeting as he drove down the city streets.

"Look, it's not important. We gotta figure out where to go before the adrenaline wears off an' I bleeda death. We can't go to your place, can't go to mine..." He started coughing and nearly crashed the car into the opposite lane.

"Pull over." Irene ordered, her voice dangerously quiet. Malaki turned to her and opened his mouth to object.

" _Pull. Over."_

His mouth slammed shut and he took a violently sharp turn into another alley. The car screeched to a halt and Irene pulled her jacket off before grabbing Malakai by his own jacket and dragging him into his back. She pressed her jacket against the bleeding wound in his stomach.

Astoria and Olie store at the two. A million thoughts raced through Astoria's head along with thousands of questions.

_What the fuck is this night._

Malakai's breathing started going shallow and his eyes fluttered closed until Irene slapped his jaw.

"Malakai, don't you dare fucking fall asleep." She snapped, her voice tense with worry. He shook his head, he was turning paler by the second. Irene turned to Astoria and gave her a pleading look.

"I-I need to get him a first aid kit, do you have anything where you live?" She asked.

"Take him to a hospital!" Astoria blurted our. Irene shook her head.

"No, they ask for names and they're gonna ask what happened. Please..."

Astoria swallowed and looked at Olie. Olie glanced between her and Irene before shrugging.

"We're already caught up in this...I'd rather not watch this guy bleed out to death." She shrugged again.

A _Am I really gonna give two gang members our address...?_ Astoria looked at Irene and Malakai, still trying to process what the living _fuck_ was going on. She sighed and shut her eyes briefly.

She gave Irene the address to her apartment. 


	5. Chapter V: Malakai

**Teeny bit graphic but not a lot.**

_Malakai was out of it. He had absolutely no idea what was happening. He felt a_ distant dull pain in his head and stomach. _What...what happened...?_ He looked around slowly and raised his head, recognizing the interior of his car. He relaxed when he heard Irene's voice and lowered his head again. _This pillow is sooo soft..._

He stared when he realized there was a person sitting above him, staring down at him. A light briefly illuminated the dark car and he caught a flash of brown hair and piercing, clear blue eyes. _Wow...is that an angel...?_ He reached up and touched the girl's cheek, feeling it heat up underneath his fingers.

"Weirddd...how come I can feel you if...you're an ang...angle. Yeah...an angle..." Malakai mumbled, confused. The angel grabbed his wrist and moved his hand off her face.

"I'm not an angle. A-are you feeling okay...?" She asked, still holding his wrist.

"I'm doing greatttt, this pillow is so comfyyyy." He grinned, happy about the pillow he was resting on. She groaned and pressed her hands against the jacket on his stomach, pressing down on it.

"That's...not a pillow." She raised her head and looked at him again. His brow furrowed.

"Whaaat? Then...what's this soft thing." He rolled onto his side to get a better look and she grabbed his head, making him look up instead.

"It's my thigh. Now stop moving so much, you're gonna bleed out all over your car." She pushed down harder on his stomach. He cringed when a sharp pain suddenly lanced in his stomach.

"Ah...shit..." He shook his head, feeling more awake. Malakai rested his hand on his head before cursing when he touched the gash on his head.

"Damn...can't believe it took someone this long to...land a bullet..." He snorted to himself. He looked up at Olie, her case was concerned and a little confused.

"We're here." Irene spoke from the seat, her seatbelt was off and her door was open by the time she finished speaking. The side door flew open and she leaned into the car, helping Malaki sit up and out of the car.Olie jogged ahead and jammed her key into the front door of the building. Irene wrapped an arm around him and helped him walk through the now open door of the apartment complex.

"Irene, I can walk." He protested weakly. She glared at him and he swallowed, looking away from her gaze, instead focusing on walking up the stairs to the apartment complex. Olie darted past them, disappearing upstairs quickly. Astoria joined them, walking on Malakai's other side. Her hands steadied him incase he stumbled and he was grateful for the extra support.

When they got to the fourth floor, Olie was leaning against the open door of apartment twenty. She opened the door wider as Malakai and Irene walked inside.

"Thanks." Irene said to Olie as she dragged him into the apartment.

"Where's your bathroom?"

"Down that hall, it's the door at the end of it." Astoria said as she walked in behind them.

"Thanks." Irene dragged Malakai to the end of the hall and flicked the light on before shoving him onto the large sink.

"Sit." She closed and locked the door behind him. He sat on the counter and looked around, his head drooping. _Blue...pretty..._ Everything in the bathroom was white except for the walls, they were painted a medium blue color.

Irene knelt in front of him and opened up the cabinet, rummaging through it as she looked for a first aid kit. He glanced at her and snorted.

"Hey, y'know it looks li-"

"If you make a dirty joke I will leave you here." She elbowed his leg and he hissed.

"Fineee..." She stood up, holding a first aid kit. She pried it open quickly and pulled out a tweezer.

"Shit...do I clean the wound first or...?" She mumbled to herself, staring at the tweezers. Malakai shrugged.

"Quantum always takes whatever's in me out before cleaning it." He grunted.

She stared at him, her mouth opening and he cringed.

"Does this...happen a lot to you...?" She whispered before shaking her head.

"Nevermind, we'll talk about it later." She jerked his shirt up and he let out a high-pitched noise of surprise. She shook her head and moved the tweezers.

"I'm sorry if this hurts." She moved her hand forward and dug the tweezers into the bullet hole. He sunk his teeth into his lip and gripped the edge of the sink as the tweezers touched the raw wound.

He stared determinedly at the wall, refusing to make a sound of pain as she dug around for the bullet. She slowly pulled out the bullet eventually and dropped it in the sink before grabbing alcohol and cotton balls.

"This is gonna hurt like shit." Her voice sounded far away as his ears started ringing. _Shit...how much blood did I lose...?_ He felt dizzy and leaned back, his head resting against the massive mirror behind him. He felt a white-hot pain lance through the bullet hole in his stomach as Irene began cleaning it. He passed out.

Malakai woke up and looked around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness left the room. He shifted and started sitting up when he noticed a weight on his chest. Irene had her arms wrapped around him, her eyes were shut as she slept peacefully.

He sighed and relaxed back into the bed, wrapping an arm around her. When he did so, he realized his shirt was gone and he was only wearing his jacket. _Wait. Bed? Irene? What the fuck!?_

He jumped up and hissed when the wound on his stomach stretched painfully with his movement. Irene jerked awake, the faint light coming from the rising sun making her eyes gleam.

"Wha-whats happening?" She slurred, looking around rapidly. Malakai rubbed his face as he suddenly remembered what happened last night.

"Where'd my shirt go?" He asked, staring down at her as she yawned, curling up around a pillow.

"Gone...cut it off cause it was bloody..." Her eyes started shutting.

"Wh-cut it off!? Why?" He said loudly before realizing he probably shouldn't be loud when Astoria and Olie were presumably asleep.

"Cause I had to get it off and...you freaked out over the summer when I tried to pull your jacket off as a joke...said you didn't want me to see your arms..." She mumbled, one eye-opening a sit to look at him. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You remember that?" He asked quietly. She nodded.

"You looked so panicked...I figured you'd have...a personal...reason...." She fell asleep again.

He stared at her for a few seconds and began smiling. He walked out of the room and opened the door slowly and looked down the hall. He faintly heard the TV playing as he stepped out of the room and walked down the hall.

Astoria was standing in front of the TV, her expression tense as she watched it. He stood a few paces behind her and looked at it. The news was playing and he felt a sense of dread when he saw the headlines on the news.

**Deadly Shootout at The Cure.**

His mind flickered back to the prone body of his father and he took a deep breath. Astoria whipped around and looked at him. She studied him and he locked eyes with her. She stepped to the side and nodded at the TV. He stepped forward and stood next to her.

"You're both on the news." She switched channels and the news showed two pictures, both mugshots from both of them.

"Malakai Calhoun and Irene Seymour were both seen running from the crime scene as police arrived. The two both got into a black Tesla and disappeared from the crime scene at 10:42 at night. Police are currently..."

He tuned out the news and stumbled, suddenly feeling very dizzy. Astoria grabbed his arm and kept him steady, her gaze tense.

"They're looking for you. You're here. In my apartment. You're getting me into some shit, boyo." She said to him. He shook her off.

"I know. I know. We'll leave." He started walking down the hall again. He paused.   
  
"Astoria Rune, right? From the Ultios?" Malakai asked, looking over his shoulder at her. Her mouth opened slightly but she nodded.  
  
"Yeah. That's...me." She mumbled. He nodded.

"Your brothers looking for you...you ever need protection from him, give me a call." He didn't know why he was offering her protection. She was one of the ex leaders of Los Angeles's most notorious gangs. A rival even if she wasn't in the Ultios anymore.

His phone buzzed and he looked down at it. He felt Astoria's gaze on his back and saw her open and close her mouth several times out of the corner of his eye. _Alright then._ He focused his attention on his phone and looked at the two texts from Alejandra.

**Alejandra**

**Yesterday 11:37PM** **  
** **  
** **Where are you your dad is in the hospital.**

**Alejandra**

**Yesterday 11:54PM**

**Malakai. Where are you?**

**Alejandra**

**Today: 1:15AM**

**Malakai. Your father needs you.**

**Alejandra**

**Today 2:58AM** **  
** **  
** **Your father's not going to make it.**

**Alejandra**

**Now**

**Are you really going to let him die without his only son there?**

He swallowed and dropped his phone before backing away from it. _No, no, no._ The words stunned him, he didn't know how to feel. He hated Matteo but at the same time...he was still his father. This also meant...

"A-are you okay?" Astoria asked him, stepping closer. He nodded slowly and picked up his phone.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He steeled his expression and walked down the hall. He opened the door to the bedroom he was previously in and went inside. He shook Irene awake.

"Come on. We gotta go." He said shortly. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"What's going on?" She asked sleepily, swinging her legs over the bed. He tapped his fingers impatiently against his thigh and walked towards the door.

"It's my dad. He-" His phone buzzed again and he looked at it.

**Alejandra**

**Now**

**What the fuck Malakai? What are you doing with that girl, it's all over the news. I swear to god if you've been hanging out with her...**

His mother never cursed. "I-I need to take you home, my father's not...he's not gonna make it. I gotta go to him."

He mentally cursed himself for how weak his voice came out and the stutter.

Irene jogged out of the room after him as he left it.

"Thanks for letting us stay." She said quickly to Astoria as he reached for the door handle.

"I-wait." Astoria reaches over and grabbed his wrist to stop him. He tensed up under her touch and turned to look at her. She held onto his wrist for a second too long before releasing it. He ignored his heart rate spiking from the contact and met her gaze steadily.

"There's news reporters swarming out there. At least stay until they go. This can't be good for you guys." She spoke hesitantly, her green eyes darting between the two of them.

"I...maybe we should stay Malakai. Our parents are already gonna flip looking for us." Her phone buzzed as she spoke and she sighed before pulling it out of the pocket of her jacket.

"You're also...not...wearing a shirt..." Astoria trailed off at the realization. Malakai looked down and hurriedly zipped up his jacket, feeling himself heat up.

"Look, it's fine. I gotta go. Irene, you stay here. It'll be better if we don't leave together anyway." He flung the door open and stepped outside of the apartment. He glanced behind him after a pause.

"And uh, thanks." He shut the door before Astoria could respond. He hurriedly walked to the stairs and went down them, feeling his phone buzz several times. He pulled it out as he reached the bottom and shoved the door open.

Bursts of light hit him and several voices spoke at once, all yelling and talking over eachother in an attempt to get his attention. He ignored them and shouldered his way through the crowd of paparazzi. He answered his phone and held it up to his ear.

"You have so much explaining to do when you get over here. You better hurry up your father h-he's not gonna be here much longer. He just wants to talk to you." His mother spoke quickly, her voice strained and watery.

He exhaled out of his nose as he patted his pockets, looking for his key. He felt it and pulled it out before quickly unlocking his car. He got inside and shut the door, shutting his eyes. He blocked out the yelling from outside his car as the paparazzi followed him. He rested his head against the steering wheel briefly.

"I...I'll be there. Just tell dad to hang on, okay?"

"I will."


	6. Chapter VI: Olie

**_Kai_ ** **_  
  
_ **

**_Now_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Matteo's dead. I'm the new leader of the Fedeltá's._ **

Olie looked at the text Irene was staring blankly at. She glanced between the phone, Astoria, who was on Irene's other side, and Irene herself. Irene swallowed and pocketed her phone before dropping her head in her hands.

Olie didn't really have any idea what that meant for Malakai and Irene. Judging from Irene's reaction it was nothing good.

"This is bad..." She said faintly. Olie hesitantly set a hand on her back and rubbed between her shoulder blades. Astoria's alarm went off and she stood up slowly, giving Irene a concerned look.

"Hey uh...I gotta go to work but...do you two wanna come? You can hang out at the shop and..." She trailed off when the two looked at her.

"I'll go. If you want to go home we can take yo-" Irene cut Olie off.

"No no. I'll come with you guys...going home is the last thing I want to do. My dad and Lloyd are gonna lose their shit anyway so..." She shrugged, her eyes distracted.

"In that case...can I talk your bike?" Olie looked pleadingly at Astoria.

"No." She shook her head.

"What? Why not?" She whined.

"One, last time you almost crashed it into a pole because you saw a cute squirrel. And two, there's three of us. I'm not driving your 'car'." She put air quotes over the word. Olie glared at her.

"The cat's not _that_ bad." She tried to reason with her. Astoria simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"Let's let Irene be the judge of that..." She started walking towards the door again when she suddenly gasped and darted down the hall towards their bedroom.

"Uh?" Irene looked after her.

"I forgot to feed Tango!" Astoria yelled, returning to the living room with an orange, yellow, and red snake.

"That snake has a top hat." Irene pointed to the snake, who looked up at her sleepily, his tongue flicking out. Astoria nodded seriously.

"He does." She walked backwards out of the room slowly, never breaking eye contact with Irene until she disappeared back into her and Olie's bedroom again.

Irene stared after her before bursting into laughter.

"God, where am I?"

"It's...ah..." Irene looked at Olie's car. It was old and looked like a mix between a minu and a Mercedes.

"It's...unique...?" She gave an awkward smile. Olie snorted at her expression.

"Thanks." She turned to Astoria and gave her another pleading look. Astoria met her gaze, seeming not to budge for several seconds. Olie kept giving her the look and she sighed loudly before reaching into her pocket for her keys. Olie took the keys as Astoria offered them and hugged her before handing her the keys to her own car.

"Thanks!" She paused when she got to the sleek black motorcycle and turned around before running back to Astoria, who was holding two motorcycle helmets.

She smiled sheepishly and put it over her head. Irene did the same after staring at the helmet for a few seconds. She scampered back to the motorcycle and climbed on it. Irene walked after her and hesitated before climbing on behind her. Olie tensed up when she wrapped her arms around her waist and scooted closer to her back.

 _I can do this. I can do this. It's okay. Just focus on driving._ She put the key in the ignition and looked around before pulling out of the parking spot. Olie was painfully aware of Irene leaning forward and pressing herself against her as they got on the road.

"You ever been on one of these before?" She called behind her, watching as Astoria drove ahead in her car.

"Yeah, my boyfriend has one." Irene replied, his voice slightly muffled from the helmet.

"Oh, Malakai? That's cool..." She leaned as they turned into the back of ROAM, the café Astoria worked at.

"No, no. I mean Lloyd, my

...other boyfriend...jeez that sounds kinda bad." Irene leaned away from her and slid off the bike. She took off the helmet and tucked it under her arm before offering Olie a hand. Olie took off her own helmet and grabbed her hand.

"Thanks, and uh, it doesn't sound that bad. Polyamory is a thing." She looked away as she saw Irene's eyes widen.

"Y-yeah! It is a thing." She looked up again, surprised at the note f excitement she heard in Irene's voice.

"Guys? You ready to go in?" Astoria called. She was leaning against the back door with an amused expression. The two looked towards her, Olie still had yet to let go of Irene's hand.

"Oh. Yeah." Olie walked over to her, Irene trailing slightly behind. Olie set the helmet on the coat rack, taking Irene's with her free hand and setting it next to her helmet.

 _I should let go of her hand._ She thought to herself as they walked out of the back room. _But...she's not letting g- fuck it, I wanna hold her hand._ She sat down next to Irene at the bar and leaned her head in her palm.

"You guys want anything?" Astoria asked as she tied her apron around her waist, glancing at them from behind the bar.

"Do you have any coffee?" Irene asked, pulling out her phone as it buzzed. Astoria nodded.

"Black, please."

"Sure. You want anything Olie?"

Olie thought about for a moment.

"No thanks."

Astoria nodded again and walked over to the coffee maker. Olie glanced around the restaurant. She always enjoyed it here, it was comfortable and had a sort of home-y feel to it. Her gaze drifted down to her and Irene's hands she shifted to interlock their fingers after a second of hesitation. Irene's eyes darted away from her phone at the movement. Olie but her lip when their eyes met, trying not to show she was nervous from the simple contact. Irene held her gaze and her lip twitched.

 _Clank!_ Astoria set mug full of steaming hot coffee in between the two. They both jumped away from each other and Irene almost fell off the stool she was sitting on.

"Sorry to kill the sexual tension. Your coffee's done." Olie sent Astoria a withering look as she was clearly trying not to laugh. Irene flushed at the words and cleared her throat.

"R-right. Thank you...Uh, this place doesn't officially open for another hour or two, right?" She asked, sipping from the steaming hot mug like it was nothing. Astoria gave her a traumatized look.

"Hold on, you just...that's...fucking hot." There was a pause and Astoria rapidly waved her hands in the air. Olie watched as they both turned violent shades of red. _Wow, I didn't know a human could turn that red._

"N-no. Shit. I mean the coffee it's...fucking hot. N-not that you're not hot! But I just...didn't..." Astoria took a deep breath as Irene covered her mouth with one hand, attempting to hide a smile.

"Yes. This place officially opens in two hours." She finally got out the words. Irene nodded and typed something on her phone.

"Do you mind if...Kai comes over here? He wants to talk to me and I think we both need to be as faraway from...that." She gestured to the glass doors at the outside world.

Astoria nodded, the red beginning to recede from her face.

"Great, thanks." She tapped her phone one last time and suddenly there was a rapid knocking on the glass. Olie turned and saw Malakai standing at the door. She hopped off the stool and walked over, she unlocked it and opened the door for him.

"Thanks." His voice sounded raspy and she realized how tired and ruffled he looked. He walked past her like a zombie and took her seat at the counter. She let him have it and sat on his other side as him and Irene began talking.

"Have you slept since you left?" Irene asked him. He shook his head.

"Can't. Had to talk to my mom I couldn't leave her, she...she's pregnant."

Irene's eyes stretched comically wide, Olie would have laughed if it weren't for the tense mood that came across the restaurant. Malakai let out a small laugh at her expression.

"Yeah, crazy, right? Nothing for twenty-one years and now..." He trailed off, looking down at the wood of the bar.

"What are you gonna do...?" Irene said quietly.

"I...I don't know. I was planning to finally get us the hell out of here but now...I can't leave this baby. She's gonna have no f-"

"She?"

He nodded, not seeming bothered by the interruption.

"Yep. My mom's been hiding that baby for almost five months...no idea how she pulled that off." He shrugged, running his fingers through his hair, or attempting to. His hand got stuck in some tangles.

Astoria cleated her throat and the two seemed to realized that her and Olie were still there.

"Do you guys...want to go to a booth where it's more private or we can move..."

Malakai glanced at Irene. She shrugged.

"Honestly, I could pour out every secret of my gang here and I wouldn't care. You guys listen all you want." He said after a moment.

Olie leaned closer. "Wait, there's one thing that's bothering me about you two." She pointed between Irene and Malakai.

"Are you two together? I don't get it. You have a boyfriend." She pointed to Irene. "And you're both in rival gangs _and_ you two hate each other personally with a passion, everyone knows that. It's like, a thing."

Malakai waved her off. "That hatred's all an act. We've got everyone fooled, even our own parents. We don't hate each other at all. And yes, we are together." He smiled at Irene and she smiled back.

 _Wow. I've never seen him smile before._ As soon as she thought that, his expression snapped back to a neutral one. She decided not to dwell on it as Astoria joined in, leaning against the counter.

"What about Lloyd? Is he not your real boyfriend? Or are you both dating him."

She questioned. Malakai gave her a look of pure disgust.

" _Fuck no I'm not with that slime bag."_

Irene snorted. "No, I'm sort of...cheating on him? I don't like him at all, I'm only with him because of my dad so..."

Astoria nodded and Olie hummed. _That's fair._

"What's the deal with you though, why don't you care if we know all this? I get the feeling you don't trust people easy." Olie looked at Malakai.

He let out a long breath and tapped his fingers on the counter.

"First. Irene trusts you and that's...a good sign if you ask me. Second, you two could've let me bleed out and die, but you didn't. You took me to your _apartment_ with barely any hesitation. And..." He glanced at Astoria.

"I sorta feel like I know you, you used to be everywhere until you disappeared from LA. This is where you went though? You met a girl and now live a quiet life on the other side of the country?" His voice held some sort of emotion Olie couldn't distinguish.

Astoria my his gaze before nodding slowly. "Yeah, that's...pretty much what happened."

He grunted and nodded. "Impressive you got out of the spotlight so easy. The media loves gangs."

Astoria laughed. "Yeah, we're like...murderous, crime driven celebrities."

"Exactly right." Malakai pulled out his phone as it began buzzing. He stared down at it for a moment and his expression hardened.

"Who is it?" Irene asked curiously. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and shook his head.

"My mom. She wants to know where I am. She says I have a lot of things to take care of now that I'm the leader, she says she can't do it alone." He rubbed his face.

"I didn't sign up for this shit..."

Irene looked down at her empty mug. "We signed up for it the moment we were born." Her voice came out barely audible. Malakai nodded slowly and reached for her hand.

"I know..." The four sat in silence for a few moments before Malakai stood up.

"Thanks for letting me in but...I gotta go. Do you need a ride?" He asked Irene. She nodded and he reached into his pocket and handed her the keys to his car.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute, warm her up for me." He said. Irene nodded and kissed him on the cheek before hopping off the stool. He turned to Olie and Astoria after she left.

"...There's another reason I'm here. My mom knows about you two and me going to your apartment, you two being there when we started fightin' with the Banda's. Not sure how the hell she found out about the apartment thing, someone must've seen tipped her off because it sure as hell wasn't in the news. Anyway, she's still the second leader of the Fedeltá's...and as leader, she thinks you've both seen too much. So...she either wants both of your brains blown out..." He paused.

"Or your sworn loyalty to our gang." 


	7. Chapter VII: Astoria

_Astoria fidgeted as she sat in the backseat of an armored truck._ Across from her sat Riot and Mikau. Olie sat next to her, pressed against her side closely. All five were armed with pistols and bulletproof vests hidden under hoodies and zipped jackets. 

In the front of the car, barely visible through the bars that separated the back from the front two seats sat Quantum and Malakai. She was glad Quantum was driving, she had seen Malakai's driving skills and...just thinking about them gave her anxiety. They'd only come in handy deep within the city, in a situation where they had to crash into a lot of shit like a video game.  
  
They had joined a year ago now and had been doing small things for the gang. This was the first _real_ mission. Where they were allowed real guns and were under strict, direct orders. 

_God, I haven't done this shit in...how long has it been? Five years?_ A part of her regretted allowing herself to get back into gang activity, and an even greater regret came with the fact that now Olie was involved in it. 

But, their only other choice was death. At least here she had the people inhabiting the car wanting to keep her safe rather than have them out for her and Olie's blood. Despite it all, Olie didn't seem to mind their new gang life and adjusted to it quickly.

"My mom wants to talk to me before we go," Malakai called back as Quantum stopped the truck. A chorus of groans came from everyone.

"Stop complaining, I want to see Alexandrite before we go anyway. Astoria and Quantum come with me, the rest of you guys can stay here." He jumped out of the truck, Quantum reluctantly following him. Astoria threw open the back doors and walked after them.

"Wait, wait, wait! You can't just go see the kiddo without me!" Riot protested, jumping out after her. Mikau and Olie exchanged shrugs before following. Malakai snorted and walked up the many steps that led to his mother's house. The door swung open as the four approached it.

"You're late, I told you to be here _five_ minutes ago." Alejandro started ranting at her son. Astoria watched as he shrank into himself a little and glared at the carpet, looking almost like an overgrown child.

"And look at you, my son and the leader of our gang, looking like a homeless man. How many times have I told you you need to start taking pride in your appearance..."

Astoria fidgeted, glancing back at the other members of their group. She could see varying degrees of anger on each of their faces as Alejandro mercilessly berated her son. Astoria wasn't fond of the woman and she knew full well the feeling was mutual.

"Mrs.Calhoun, where is Malaka-oh! Hello!" Alex walked into the room, holding a tiny, annoyed-looking baby in her arms. _Oh, fuck no, not this bitch._ Malakai brightened up immediately and ran over to her, ignoring the frustrated noise his mother made as he walked away mid-sentence. Alex grinned at the reaction.

"Well aren't you happy to see m-"

"Hey there, how are you doing? You're so cute, yes you are." Malakai took Alexandrite out of her arms and held her in the air to get a good look at her. The baby squealed and started giggling at her older brother, her yellow eyes shining. She was paler than her brother and her hair was redder, she looked more like her father, unlike Malakai, who took after his mother.

"Malaaa." Alexandrite tugged on his long hair as he lowered her back down. A rare, gentle smile came across his face as he looked down at the baby. He leaned his head closer to the baby. Alex was giving Alexandrite a murderous look. _Is she really jealous of a baby?_

Riot ran over, Mikau hot on his heels. "Hey, don't hog the kid. Give us a turn."

Malakai blew a raspberry at him and held her up higher, using Riot's short stature against him. Riot crossed his arms.

"Now that's just rude."

"If we're playing that way..." Mikau snatched Alexandrite right out of Malakai's hands and held her higher. Quantum slowly joined the three and simply stared at them all. Alexandrite squealed happily as she was now face to face with Mikau and his expression softened into a warm smile. He gently poked her, making her squeak and wrap her tiny hand around Mikau's massive finger.

"Oh my god! Malakai! Control your friends before they hurt my baby!" Alejandra shouted, storming over. Quantum's eyes widened into a terrified expression as she approached and he ducked behind Malakai. Astoria glanced at Olie and they both started snickering at their antics. They walked over and Mikau plopped the baby into her hands as Alejandra began scolding them.

_There are too many people in here with similar names, we have Alex, Alexandrite, and Alejandra. This is confusing as shit. Maybe I should just refer to Alex as Bitch..._

She looked down at the baby in her arms and adjusted herself. _Don't kill it. Be gentle._ Alexandrite reached up and put a small hand on her face. Astoria stared at the baby and began smiling despite her nerves.

"Astastast." Alexandrite tapped her face repeatedly as she spoke. Olie started laughing again and Astoria glared at her before setting Alexandrite in her arms.

"Here, you take her then." Astoria grinned proudly. Olie scrambled to get a good grip on the baby, her eyes flaring with panic as she almost dropped her. Alexandrite didn't seem to notice as she stared at Olie with wide eyes. Olie stared back.

"Um. Hi there."

 _Slap!_ A tiny hand slapped Olie's jaw with surprising force.

"Ow! What the fuuuudge?" Olie quickly averted her gaze as Malakai and Alejandra gave her twin glares. Alejandra walked over and reached out for the baby. Olie slowly handed her over and stepped back next to Astoria.

Malakai looked between them as Alejandra gave the two an icy look, his eyes darkened.

"Hey uh. I think I hear the car running. Let's go turn it off! Mikau, Q, wanna give me a hand? Yes? Let's go. Bye!" Riot shot off for the door with Quantum on his heels. Mikau dipped his head to Alejandra.

"Thank you for letting us visit. Bye Alexandrite." He waved to the baby and walked out after Quantum and Riot.

Malakai walked over and cleared his throat. Alex was glaring at him, seemingly still mad about him ignoring her.

"Mother, you wanted something?" He asked Alejandra tiredly. She turned away from Astoria and Olie. Her expression didn't soften when she looked up to meet her son's gaze.

"You're not going on a drug trade tonight. I lied."

He gave her a confused look. "Okay...? Where are we going then?"

She glanced down at Alexandrite. She was falling asleep in her mother's arms peacefully.

"We're gonna get revenge for your father's death." She said after several moments of silence.

"Wait, what? Why now?" His voice sharpened.

"Because it's been a year tonight and they're partying on the anniversary of his death. They don't know it but there's a rat in their gang feeding me information." She met his gaze steadily.

"And you didn't tell me this why? In case you forgot I'm also the leader of this gang, you're not the only leader." His eyes darkened and his posture stiffened.

"Because I know you'd be against the plan. You're too damn soft." She snapped, walking towards the stairs. Malakai followed her, their argument continuing as they walked up the stairs.

Astoria and Olie glanced at each other worriedly. Alex noticed and cocked a perfect eyebrow, setting her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong? You two look nervous. Scared you're gonna actually have to get your hands bloody? Scared to finally prove your loyalty to us and do something?" She waved her hand when Astoria opened her mouth to object.

"Please, all the little shit you've been doing for us means nothing. You're not a real member until you've _killed_ for your fellow gang members. You may have Malakai fooled with your act but Alejandra's onto you." She sneered.

"What the fuck are you talking ab-" Astoria cut herself off as she heard yelling from the top of the staircase.

"Mom, are you fucking hearing yourself!? We can't do that to Irene just to get back at Connor! It's _fucked!_ You ca-" _Thump_! The sound of a fist hitting skin sounded. Astoria cringed.

"You listen to me right now. I don't _fucking care._ That man killed Matteo and he's not getting away with it. We've played nice for too long. He's gonna pay for it through his daughter. That's what your father always wanted, to make Connor pay for everything he's done to us through what he cares about most. Now we have even more reason to carry out that plan." Alejandra's voice was low with fury. Silence greeted her words.

"Now you go down there and make sure everyone's ready. You want to be treated like a leader so bad? Stop being such a useless disgrace to our family."

Astoria reached down and grabbed Olie's hand, gripping it tightly. _God if it wasn't so much trouble I'd go up there and blow her fucking brains out._ She glanced at Olie and saw her expression was ominously dark. She looked away, not wanting to know what kind of thoughts were going through her girlfriends head. Alex looked mostly unaffected by everything and yawned.

Malakai walked into the room, there was a bruise already forming on his jaw.

"Kai, are you okay?" Astoria asked him quietly. He looked at her, his jaw was set and his expression was cold and hard.

"Fine. Alex. Go get eight 47's and tell Quantum and the others what's going on because apparently, you already knew all this shit." He looked away from her. Alex nodded and walked out of the room.

"Get in the truck and wait there." Malakai glanced at Olie and Astoria as he spoke before walking out of the room.

"Ka-"

" _Go."_ He disappeared into the mansion without another word.

"Woah Woah, we can't...Malakai. That's Irene. You can't..." Quantum was staring at Malakai with wide eyes as he realized Malakai was planning to go through with the plan. Astoria glanced around at everyone, seeing the fear she felt reflected on everyone's face. Killing was one thing. All of them had done it or knew they were going to have to do it one day, it was simply a part of their lifestyle.

Brutally torturing and then killing someone in front of their father was another thing. Especially when it was someone they all knew and cared about, even if it was for different reasons and to different extents.

Malakai slammed into the breaks and sent everyone in the back flying. He grabbed Quantum by the shirt and dragged him so they were only an inch apart, his eyes blazing with cold fury.

"You think I want to do this? You think I'm that fucked up that I'd do something like this to _Irene_ of all people?" He shook Quantum as he spoke, his voice raising with hurt and anger.

Quantum shook his head and pushed Malakai off him, shrinking back a little.

"No, no. I-I don't. But...what else are you planning to do? You don't exactly to be trying to fight it."

"And how am I gonna fight it!?"

"Arguing? Physically fighting? You know, the shit you're actually good at?" Quantum sat up straighter and moved closer to Malakai, his anger beginning to show.

"Look where that fucking got me." He pointed to the bruise on his cheek. Quantum stared at it.

"She did that to you..." His anger disappeared as soon as it came. Malakai looked away.

"You can't let her keep doing that to you. You're twenty-one, Kai. You can't let her push you down forever." He said softly, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"No matter what I do our gang's always gonna pick her over me. I hurt her and they'll beat the shit out of me. They outnumber us by far." He shook his head as Quantum went to speak.

"I know what you're gonna say 'you have us.' I know I have you guys, and I don't want you to get hurt. Especially over this and now...I can't leave Alexandrite either or risk her getting hurt. My mom only cares about what she can do for herself and the gang, not about _Alexandrite_. Do you know what I mean?" He looked at Quantum. He slowly nodded.

"She knows how much I care about Alexandrite. She'll use her against me if she has to. And if that means hurting her then...I know my mother will." He looked down at the steering wheel.

Astoria slowly spoke up, breaking the horrified silence in the car. "Why does she want you here so bad...?"

He let out a short bitter laugh. "My mom has some sick idea that we're a 'happy family'. She can't stand the thought of one of us leaving by choice. It's awful, she does shit like this and then tomorrow she'll be acting like everything is fine and we're a perfect family. Perfection doesn't exist, especially not in this fucked up life."

Malakai started driving again. An awkward silence fell across the car and he sighed.

"Okay...we gotta figure out how to get Irene out of this. There are two other trucks full of our guys and one of them is being driven by my mom. I wished she didn't want to come along on this but of course, she fucking did...nothing can be easy...does anyone have any ideas?" He glanced in the rearview mirror at everyone.

Astoria glanced at Olie. Olie looked back and gave her a confused look.

"Astoria. You have that look on your face. What are you planning?"

Astoria took a deep breath. _Should I really stick my neck out for these two? I've known them for barely a year..._ She met Malakai's gaze for several seconds and thought about him and Irene. 

_Fuck yeah, I'm gonna do this._

"So this idea could be really fucking stupid but..."


	8. Chapter VIII: Irene

**Big warning for animal and domestic abuse.**

**Watch your step, it's mostly at the end of the chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

_Irene sighed and sipped wine from the glass in her hand._ I'm not drunk enough for this shit... _Her father was talking loudly, proudly boasting_ about how he had murdered their worst enemy a year ago.   
  
Lloyd had his arms wrapped around her and was pressed too close for her liking, but she couldn't comment on it. She looked around the smoky mansion the party was being held in and sighed as her gaze flickered over all the people. She didn't get along with anyone in her gang, they were all insufferable. Especially when they were all drunk and high off their asses.

Someone caught her eye and she paused, her gaze locked on them. Their impressive height made them stand out from everyone in the crowd. They were looking for someone, she watched as their eyes scanned the crowd, pretending to be aloof. _Why do they look so familiar...?_ Piercing green eyes met her gaze as they turned to face Irene directly.

Lloyd noticed them as they began making their way through the crowd over to the two.

"Who's that? Do you know him?" Lloyd pulled away from her and looked at her, his gaze darkening. She sighed, something told her to lie to him.

"It's a new recruit. Just got him in yesterday, isn't that right...Chuck..." She said as the person stopped and stood in front of the two. 'Chuck' stared at her for several moments, looking confused. _Oh my god, Astoria!?_ She bit her lip hard to ensure the words wouldn't fly from her mouth. Half of her wanted to hit her and ask what the _fuck_ she was doing here, when at any second she'd hold get several new holes in her. The other half was just stupidly excited and happy to see her.

Lloyd looked between the two, his gaze darkening even more at their behavior.

Astoria cleared her throat.

"Oh. Right. My bad. Yes. That's what happened. Yesterday, she recruited me..." Astoria spoke, awkwardly lowering her voice in an attempt to sound like a man's voice. It wasn't very convincing but Lloyd had enough alcohol in his system to not care too much. He glared at Astoria and wrapped an arm around Irene, roughly pulling her to his side.

"How'd you meet Irene?" He spat out.

Astoria swallowed and her gaze darted to Irene to give her a concerned look before meeting Lloyd's eyes.

"U-uh...I...drug trade. She was impressed by...how I talked and my knowledge of drugs. She thought I'd be useful to the gang so she offered me much better than what my gang was givin' me." Astoria responded, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke.

Lloyd stared at her for a long time. She stared right back, refusing to blink or break eye contact. Lloyd eventually grunted and turned away.

"Babe, I'm gonna go get more drinks and some coke. We'll talk about this later." He released her and walked off without another word.

Irene sighed in relief and glared at Astoria. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone and opened Astoria's.

**Go into the room on your right and make a left, go down the hall and make another left. Open the door and meet me in the yard.**

**Delivered 11:20 PM**

She pocketed the phone and gave Astoria a nod before walking out of the room. She went to to the door that led to the door and opened it before stepping outside.

She breathed deeply, glad to be away from the smoke and alcohol. She pulled her lighter out of her pocket and lit it, watching a large flame shoot up. A smile came across her face as she watched the flame dance in front of her. She looked around at the grass and trees in the yard and briefly considered lighting something on fire. _Hm...too much trouble._

The door banged open and she jumped, almost setting the person who walked out of the mansion on fire. Astoria jumped, the door slamming shut loudly behind her.

"Shit...don't scare me like that!" Irene killed the flame and shoved the lighter in her pocket, glaring up at the woman. Astoria took off the fedora on her head and shook herself, letting her red hair fall down her shoulders.

"You realize you look like you walked off the set of a mafia movie from the 80s right?" Irene snorted, looking at the suit she was wearing.

Astoria shrugged. "We have no idea how your gang parties on such a joyous occasion so we decided fancy shit." She shrugged.

Irene hummed. "Well, you do look pretty good in it so...I'm not complaining. Except for the mustache, you're not meant to have one of those." She grinned at Astoria, forgetting the fact that if anyone walked out here it would be very, very bad for both of them.

Astoria ripped the mustache off her face with a wince and glanced away. The single light in the backyard was enough for Irene to see a faint red flush on her face.

"Well, _you_ look beautiful no matter what you're wearing." Astoria countered, her expression and voice turning completely serious. Irene held her gaze for exactly one second before looking away, feeling her face heat up.

"Hah...wait, you said 'we' who else is with you? And wait a minute, why are you here!?" She rubbed her face, realizing there were more important things to worry about.

Astoria leaned against the door, her expression darkening, all traces of humor vanishing. "Alejandra's after you. She's coming here right now with two trucks full of gang members who want your blood. They're gonna kill as many people as they can, kidnap you and..." She looked away again, her expression tightening.

"What...?" Irene asked slowly, stepping forward as fear began worming its way into her stomach. Astoria refused to meet her gaze, her eyes reflecting the light as fear grew in them. She stayed silent.

Irene lunged forward and grabbed the front of Astoria's jacket, panic making her lose her cool. "Do what!? _Tell me!"_ She yelled.

Astoria pushed her off. "I-I don't know! Malakai refused to go into detail and he's the only one who knows _exactly_ what Alejandra wants done to you. He looked like he was either gonna burst into tears or break someone's face. I'm just here to get you outta this place before we find out what caused that reaction."

 _Bark! Bark! Bark!_ They both jumped as a white blur charged towards them. A massive, pure white wolfdog puppy lunged on Astoria, knocking her to the ground. He panted happily and licked Astoria's face, his tail wagging.

"Hail no!" Irene grabbed him and tried to pull him off. Astoria laughed and sat up, petting Hail, clearly relieved to have a distraction from their conversation. Hail stopped licking Astoria and hopped away from Irene, slipping from her grasp. She sighed and offered Astoria a hand.

"Thanks." She took it and stood up. Hail scampered around the two of them, panting happily.

"I can't believe Kai got you a whole dog for your birthday, where did he even _get_ a wolfdog?" Astoria asked, reaching don't to pet him again. Irene shrugged.

"His exact words were 'I know a guy, who knows a guy who knows _another_ guy. That guy has an uncle that knows another guy that is a wolfdog breeder.'"

She smiled and shook her head as Astoria laughed. "Sounds like him."

She nodded, smiling a little as she remembered the look on her father's face when she walked into the house three months ago with a puppy in her arms. _He was so pissed but he couldn't say no._ Her father would never admit it, but he had a soft spot for dogs.

Astoria pulled out her phone and began texting rapidly on it. "You want to bring Hail with you?" She asked, not looking up from her phone.

"Who said I was coming with you guys?" Irene asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. Astoria looked up, looking almost offended.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Of course, I'm bringing him with me." She pulled his leash off the hook next to the door and tapped her leg to get his attention. He came running over from where he wandered off to and stood in front of her. He fidgeted impatiently as she put his collar on him.

"Are they here?" She asked, straightening up with Hail's leash in her grip. Astoria nodded and pocketed her phone.

"Yeah. Let's g-" The door slammed open.

Astoria and Irene whipped around and were face to face with Lloyd.

"Astoria Rune...been a while since I seen your face..." He slammed the door behind him and leaned against it, his eyes gleaming with dark malice.

Astoria said nothing, her eyes narrowing. "I thought it was you when you walked in but, well. Crack fucks with your mind. Didn't know if I was seein' ya or not." He pulled a .44 Magnum from his pants. Irene stared at him as he aimed it at Astoria. She didn't flinch at the pistol aimed at her, she stared at it steadily.

"Now...if I didn't know better I'd say you're out here fuckin' other gangs' members." Lloyd turned to Irene, his face twisted into a sneer. "Or ex-members, 'cause you fuckin' ditched your family." His gaze switched back to Astoria.

"Great job, you got it right on the head. Y'know she'd rather be with any other person rather than your greasy a-" _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Astoria's snide retort was cut off. She fell back from the force of the shots, her eyes wide. Irene watched as blood sprouted from her torso and began bleeding rapidly on the ground. Her mind went blank.

She turned to Lloyd as Hail lunged and sunk his teeth into his wrist, forcing him to fire several shots as he tried to jerk out of the dog's grasp. They all missed and he dropped the gun before jerking his arm sharply, sending Hail flying off his arm. He hit the wall with a sickening _thud!_ Hail dropped to the ground and didn't get up.

Irene finally snapped into motion at the noise, a guttural sound ripping free from her throat as she charged at Lloyd. She decked him right in the jaw and sent him flying to the floor. He cracked his head on the pavement before sharply sweeping his legs out into hers.

She crashed to the ground and he jumped up, grabbing her by her jacket to haul her to her feet with him. His forehead was dripping with blood and his eyes were wild with fury. He slammed her against the brick wall of the mansion.

" _You little fucking bitch! You know how much shit I do for you!?_ " He bellowed at her. Her breathing quickened with panic as he yelled at her and she turned away from him.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" His fist slammed into her cheek and she dropped to the ground again.

He jumped on her and punched her repeatedly. She felt her gaze darkening with every blow and glanced around, eventually not feeling the hits anymore. Irene looked at Hail, seeing him twitch and raise his head a little before it dropped again. He looked at her and whimpered softly, seemingly unable to move.

A sudden hit to her ribs made her grunt with pain and look away from Hail. Her gaze landed on Astoria and she looked at her body for a long time, watching as a red puddle formed around her body. She was alive, her chest was heaving desperately for air. Irene faintly heard her wheezing breaths through the haze clouding her head. Her eyesight darkened further and she looked up at Lloyd, he grabbed her jacket again and was shaking her while yelling again. She saw his lips moving and heard him faintly, not enough to make out any words.

She smiled lazily at him. "Sorry man...can't hear you."

He looked stunned and dropped her. His hands wrapped around her neck and he began squeezing hard. She shut her eyes finally. Faintly she heard wood shattering violently and the weight on top of her suddenly vanished. The world faded into a cold, empty dark.


	9. Chapter IX: Malakai

**_Astoria_ **

**_1:00 AM_ **

**_Chill it home skillet, we got her. She's bringing your son._ **

**My son...what the fuck is she pregnant!?**

**Read 1:01 AM**

**Oh. You mean Hail, right?**

**Delivered 1:02 AM**

**Where are you guys? We gotta go, the others are gonna be here in ten minutes.**

**Astoria, the fuck was that? Why did we hear gunshots? Are you two okay**

**Delivered 1:30 AM**

**Astoria.**

**1:31 AM**

**Astoria we're all coming don't worry we'll be there okay please tell me you two are okay**

**Delivered 1:32 AM**

Malakai leaped out of the back of the van and shot through the forest that surrounded the mansion. He couldn't see a thing and nearly tripped several times. _Dammit..._ Olie ran next to him, his eyes adjusted and he saw her expression was tight with fear. He glanced behind him and didn't even see or hear the others.

He looked ahead and saw the wooden fence that surrounded the mansion, thin silver wiring topped the fence. _Barbwire._ That was his last thought before he sped up to full speed and jumped, twisting at the last second to slam his shoulder full force into the wood. _Crack!_ The wood shattered under the impact and he flew through it, crashing on his shoulder onto the pavement.

He stumbled to his feet and gripped his shoulder, feeling pain explode into it. Lloyd was already darting to the other side of the yard, he hauled himself over the fence and was gone before Malakai could give chase. Olie darted through the hole he created and knelt next to Astoria, speaking incoherently to her, her voice high with panic. 

Malakai looked around, taking in Astoria and Irene's battered bodies. Quantum ran past him. He dropped a black backpack next to the puddle of blood surrounding Astoria and began rifling through it rapidly.

Malakai ran over to Irene, trusting Quantum to save Astoria. He dropped next to Irene, feeling horror course through him as he took in the bruises already forming on her. Blood was dripping from her mouth and nose. He sucked in a breath and gently pressed two fingers to the side of her neck. He shut his eyes in relief when he felt a pulse.

Part of him was glad she was passed out, she wouldn't feel any pain. Mikau appeared next to him and squatted down, his normally neutral expression dark with worry.

"Hey...Kai..." He glanced up at Riot, the only one equipped with a gun. His gloved fingers twitched on the AK-47 as he looked at the building next to them.

"Look man, we gotta go. Someone comes out here and alerts everyone, we're completely and utterly screwed." He shifted his weight. Malakai nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. Mikau, go grab Astoria and I'll get Irene." He reached for her and Mikau's hand shot out, blocking him.

"What are you-"

"No. You're not carrying her. Your shoulder is dislocated." Mikau went to pick her up.

"No, no. You need to carry Astoria. I'll be fine. We just need to get out of here, don't worry about me." Without waiting for Mikau to respond he slid his arms under Irene and froze when his eyes caught sight of Hail.

Mikau sighed and followed his gaze before standing up, quickly walking over to the dog. Hail raised his head and whimpered quietly. Mikau knelt and gently ran his hand over his fur, talking quietly to him.

Malakai's turned back to Irene and picked her up, gritting his teeth as pain lanced through his shoulder. He walked over to Quantum, Olie, and Astoria. Mikau joined him and they watched as Quantum hurriedly bandaged the bullet holes. Next to him were bloody tweezers, three equally bloody bullets, alcohol, and bloody cotton balls. 

"Kai...?" Olie looked up at him, her hand gripping Astoria's tightly.

"Y-yeah Olie...?" He cursed himself internally for the way his voice shook.

"They're gonna be okay, right?" She asked. Mikau walked over and placed Hail in her arms, forcing her to release Astoria. She looked at Hail. He raised his head and licked her cheek weakly.

"They're gonna be fine, Ol. Some dumbass with a gun and a good right hook isn't gonna keep them down." He gave her a weak grin. She stared at him for a long moment before standing up as Mikau began walking away with Astoria.

"I hope you're right." She walked after him. He looked down at Irene and sighed. _I hope I am too._ Quantum packed up his supplies and tossed them into his backpack, leaving the blood supplies behind.

"They're gonna be okay, right?" Malakai asked him quietly. Quantum was silent as they walked through the hole in the fence, Riot brought up the rear.

"They should be fine, we should really get Astoria to a hospi-"

" _No."_

Quantum glared at him as he interrupted.

"Let me finish. We should really get her to a hospital _but._ She should be okay with what I've done. She doesn't need any surgery or organ removals, the bullets didn't hit anything important somehow. All her muscles are intact, as well as-" Quantum started rambling and Malakai sighed.

"Quantum. I got it, man. She's gonna live." Quantum looked away, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry...oh, uh. Irene should be okay too, I'm gonna check her for any internal bleeding when we get to the truck. I'm mostly worried about brain damage though, it looks like her head got the worst of Lloyd's hits. Hail's already awake, which is a good sign. He's bleeding from the head a little but I'm sure he's okay."

Malakai grunted in response, his gaze wandering around the forest in case any unwanted people were around. He walked into the van, glancing at Astoria, Olie, and Hail.

"Also, I need to set your shoulder." Quantum slid in the back with him. He set Irene down on the bench opposite to Astoria before turning to glare at Quantum.

"I'm fine."

"Malakai. I could see you favoring your left arm when you carried her, you normally distribute weight evenly between both arms so it's ea-"

"Shit Q, stop over analyzing this....Go ahead." He couldn't help but laugh a little. He closed the doors and tapped the bars to signal Mikau to start driving. Quantum huffed and grabbed his arm.

"Ready? On three. One...two..." _Pop!_ Malakai raised his hand over his mouth to stop any noise from breaking free.

" _You ass! You said on three!"_ He hissed at Quantum. He shrugged before kneeling next to Irene, not looking apologetic in the slightest.

"Astoria told me if I ever had to set one of your limbs or anything to count to three and do it on two. She said you did that to her once." He replied, checking Irene over. Malakai sighed and sat down next to Olie. _Well...okay I deserve that._ He looked at Astoria and sighed.

_Now what are we gonna do? Mom's gonna wonder where we are. She's already suspicious something's going on between us and Irene...she'll know immediately when Irene's not there and we're all missing._

"Is your shoulder okay?" Olie's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at her and nodded slowly.

"Yeah. It's fine. Quantum popped it back into place, so." He rolled it for emphasis, ignoring the dull pain he felt from the motion. Olie nodded.

"Are you hurt anywhere? You were right behind me and some of the wood might've hit you." He asked, giving her a once over.

"No. I'm...I'm okay." She reached down and grabbed Astoria's hand, her gaze drifting over to Irene. He followed her gaze and dropped his head in his hands. _God dammit..._

"Kai. Kai..." He looked up at Olie's voice and looked down at his hands, seeing drops of clear liquid there. _What...?_ Olie stared at him as he wiped his eyes furiously.

 _"Stop crying, dumbass."_ His hands paused at the voice. He looked around, confused. His father stood in front of him, looking disgusted.

"N-no. You're dead. You're not here." His father laughed.

"I'm a part of you, Malakai. I'm always with you...although I wish I wasn't right now. Look at you, pathetic. Have you forgotten what I told you?" He stepped closer and roughly grabbed his chin, forcing Malakai to look at him.

"Crying shows weakness. Your enemy sees that weakness and you're _dead._ You can't show weakness or everyone around you will _die_. You're their leader, you have a duty. You want to protect these idiots?" Matteo moved his head to look at everyone in the van.

"Well!? Do you!?" He raised his voice when Malakai didn't say anything. He nodded slowly, still confused at how this was happening.

"Then man up and grow a pair. Pussy. And don't forget about your sister. Don't let her grow up as useless as you." The hand on his chin disappeared along with his father.

"Hey! Snap out of it!"

"Kai...Kai! Malakai!" Quantum's voice made him jump. He looked between him and Olie, blinking rapidly.

"Fuck. Sorry, I...did I pass out?" He looked around the van for any trace of his father.

"Sort of? I don't know, your eyes were open but they were far away. And you were twitching and mumbling to yourself." Quantum gave him a worried look. Malakai shook his head.

"Sorry. Must be all the stress..." He ran his fingers through his hair, forcing himself to calm down. Quantum and Olie exchanged worried looks. He looked down at his shoes _It must've been a hallucination...there's no way..._

"Hey, Kai?" Riot called from the front, twisting in his seat. He looked up and focused on him, grateful for the distraction.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"We're here." He jerked his head at the Calhoun mansion.

"Great, thanks..." He stood up and kicked open the back of the truck. Olie ran out after him and grabbed his arm. He froze and slowly turned to look at her.

"I'm coming with you." She said, her blue eyes gleaming determinedly.

"No. Too dangerous, she could come here with everyone any second. Get back in the van." He kept walking and she tightened her grip on his arm, keeping pace with him.

"Sorry, you're not getting rid of me." She shrugged. Malakai let out a frustrated noise and gave up, knowing there was no point arguing with her. He opened the door and walked inside.

"Do you have a gun at least?" He walked up the stairs, refusing to acknowledge that she had yet to let go of his arm. She nodded.

".44?" She nodded again, letting go of his arm to show him. He sighed.

"Okay, just be my cover, alright?" He opened the door to the room Alejandra's room and stepped inside. A small fuzzy head popped up out of the white crib in the corner. He picked Alejandra up and she started crying.

"No, no, shh..." He looked around the room for her bottle and realized Olie had disappeared. _Dammit, where the hell did she go?_ He walked out of the room and halted abruptly. Alejandra had the .44 magnum held to Olie's temple, her other arm was wrapped around her, keeping her pinned. Her hand was clasped firmly over Olie's mouth.

Alejandra looked between the three and started crying loudly again. "God dammit Malakai! Why do you have to rip apart our family!?" His mother yelled at him, making him step back and clench his fist.

"And for what!? A _girl!_ The daughter of your father's murderer no less! And this one-" She shook Olie roughly. "-and that psychopathic Rune girl!" Her voice shook with rage.

"I'm not blind, Malakai! I see the way you act and look around them, like an idiot. You put them over the gang all the time. You really just can't control yourself, can you? No wonder you and Alex broke up. She probably caught you cheati-"

" _Shut up!"_ He bellowed, finally snapping at her. She looked taken aback.

"You are fucking _insane._ You have _no_ idea what you're talking about. Alex cheated on _me_. Not the other way around, _that's_ why we broke up. _I'm_ not the one ripping apart our family! It's _you!_ You and dad fucked this family. I get it, we're all part of a gang and none of this shit was gonna be easy or happy. But none of that excuses the hell you both put me through. You fucking _beat_ me whenever I dared to step out of line. If I fought back that only made things worse for me. Not to mention all the awful things you two have said about me. The only time you praised me is when I hurt or kill or commit some crime. You wonder why I want to leave? It's because of _you_. Dad's dead now. He's not my problem anymore." He took a breath.

"I'm not gonna let Alexandrite go through what I went through or anything like it and I'm sure as hell not going to let you hurt anyone I care about anymore." He finished. His mother stayed silent. She released Olie, who looked confused.

"Malakai. Hand her the baby and tell her to go the van." Her voice was soft. He swallowed and hesitated briefly before doing as she said. Olie gave him a worried look.

"It's fine, go ahead..." She sighed and nodded before walking down the steps at an agonizing pace.

"Malakai...do you know why we named you that?" Alejandra stepped closer to him, her voice uncharacteristically soft. He shook his head. confused.

"Your name...it means 'the message'. You're our message to this city, the state...hell, the country and further. Countless people know who you are, not just because you're our son, but because..." She stood an inch away from him and looked him directly in the eyes.

"You're a _monster_." She grinned.

He stepped back, his mouth opening and closing, unsure how to respond.

"Your father trained you well. He wanted you to be a killing machine and you _are._ Think of all the people you've killed. I know you remember each and every one of them. Remember that drug deal that went wrong two months ago? You killed those three without even flinching. And that was with a gun. You can even kill with your bare hands if you try hard enough." She gripped the front of his jacket. He leaned away

"I...l." He swallowed.

"Don't you see? We _need_ that in our gang, everyone needs to know who we are and what we're capable of. You're the perfect example, a ruthless killer. Your sister needs to stay here too...Alexandrite..." Her gaze grew distant.

"'Good luck'...we needed that after your father died, she was our luck. She brings so much joy to everyone, such a fitting name...Malakai, listen to me." She shook him.

"Stay here. Irene can stay, all your little friends can stay and become a part of us. Having Irene on our side...it'll be perfect now that I think about it, yes..."

"What do you mean?" He nudged her off and looked over the banister of the loft. Olie was standing at the bottom of the steps. He turned away as Alejandra started speaking again.

"Her father! That bastard will hate having his daughter with us!" Olie walked up behind her, still holding Alexandrite.

"There's gotta be some sort of catch..." She said softly. Alejandra glanced at her.

"No, no catch. Everything will be perfe-"

"No." Malakai interrupted her. The smile on her face froze.

"Why not...?"

"Because you're fucking insane. I'm leaving and I'm never coming back. Let's go Ol." He shouldered past her. His mother let out a strangled noise of fury and he felt her fist slam into the side of his face.

He stumbled out of pure shock and tripped over the low railing, plummeting down the drop. Pain exploded into his head and he blacked out. 


	10. Chapter X: Olie

**I hope you guys like the new title, I came up with it at like 5AM and I liked it so...yeah. Enjoy!**

  
_Olie looked down and resisted the urge to dart down the steps to Kai as Alejandra leveled_ her pistol at her head.

"Dawn, hand over Alexandrite." She ordered shakily. She shook her head slowly, ignoring Alejandra's use of her last name.

"You heard my plan, right?" She walked closer to Olie. Olie stood her ground and glared defiantly at her.

"I did."

Alejandra nodded. "I'll leave the choice up to you then. Just think about it...you take my offer, I'll make you the top set of the Fedeltá's. Do you know what that means?"

She blinked. "Top set...top group of the gang. Right under the leaders."

Alejandra nodded. "All you have to do is hand over the baby and say yes. Say no and...well, our gang is everywhere. They'll track you down and kill you at my word, every single one of you will be slaughtered."

Olie hesitated further, looking down at Malakai's body again.

"I can't decide for everyone." She said finally. Alejandra sighed loudly

"Take him out with you and talk to your friends quickly. I don't have all night. Give me Alexandrite." She opened her arms.

Olie looked at Alexandrite who was silently staring at her with wide eyes. She gave her a small smile before handing her to her mother. She went down the steps and walked over to Malakai's body. He didn't look hurt, all of his bones seemed intact. The fall wasn't a deadly one. He was out cold though, splayed out on his stomach.

She stared at him for several seconds before grabbing him, picking him up with a grunt. She walked out of the door and down the steps slowly. His eyes opened when she was on the last step.

"What...happened...?" He mumbled, looking around confused.

"Your mom punched you and you tripped over the banister." She replied. He gripped his head and looked around.

"Are you...carrying me...?" He said incredulously, his brow furrowing.

"Yes, I am. Do you want me to put you down?" She stopped walking. He blinked before nodding slowly. She set him down and he took a step forward before stumbling, nearly face-planting on the floor. She snorted and slid under his arm.

"You sure you don't want me to carry you again?" She asked, feeling him lean on her.

"No..." He grumbled and started walking slowly. "I'm just dizzy, I'll be fine in a few minutes."

"Sure." The doors to the van opened and the ramp was kicked down.

"What the hell happened!? Why are you walking like that?" Quantum yelled as they stepped inside the van.

"My mom," Malakai replied simply. Quantum glared at him and pushed on his shoulders.

"Sit...down!" Malakai gave him an unimpressed look and nudged him off before sitting down.

"Honestly, I already have these three to worry about and now you go and get yourself hit in the head. This is just like when you fell off that waterfall a couple of years ago..."

"Wait, you fell off a waterfall?" Irene rolled on her side and looked at Malakai.

"You're awake." His eyes lit up and he began standing up.

" _Malakai Calhoun I swear if you don't sit down."_

He sat down and glared at Quantum as he bustled around the small space of the van. Hail stood up and walked over to Malakai. He dropped his head on his lap and turned his red eyes on Malakai.

"Hey, buddy, how you feeling...?" He reached down and pet Hail, carefully avoiding the bandage over his head. Hail wagged his tail, his eyes dropping.

"Irene?" He reached over and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers. She smiled at him and slowly sat up, wincing as she did so.

"I'm uh...doing alright. Been better." She shrugged. He stared at her for several seconds before turning to Astoria. Some of the color had returned to her and her breathing was steady. _Quantum's got some crazy magic healing shit in that bag..._ She sat on the bench next to Astoria's head and began messing with her hair.

"When she wakes up...we all need to talk." She said quietly, keeping her gaze on Astoria.

"About?" She felt Irene's gaze on her.

"Is it about Alejandra's offer...?" Malakai asked.

She nodded. "Yeah...we can't exactly say no easy..."

Astoria's eyes fluttered open. "Ah shit..." She groaned, raising her head to look at her body. Quantum ran over and began fussing over her.

"Are you comfortable? Do you need a pillow or something? Does your stomach hurt or feel weird? Does anywhere else hurt? Do you feel anything b-"

"Quantum, she just woke up. Let her breathe." Olie nudged him. He nodded slowly, taking a step back and almost tripping on Kai and Hail.

"Hey...how you feeling...?" Olie asked her softly. Astoria shrugged.

"I feel shot."

Olie rolled her eyes. "Of course you do..."

Astoria snorted before rolling on her side to face Malakai and Irene.

"Really though, I feel fine...I don't know what I'm on but fuck it's strong..." She stretched before pausing, her gaze locking on Irene.

"How are you feeling? I heard you and Lloyd arguing after he shot me and some thuds and now...god what the fuck did he do!?" Her eyes flashed and she shoved herself into a sitting position.

"Beat the hell out of me and chucked Hail." Hail looked up at his name and hopped on the bench next to Irene, placing his paws on her lap. He licked her face and she winced. Malakai grabbed him and pulled him off. He whined and squirmed, getting out of his grasp quickly. He hopped up next to Astoria and licked her hand.

"Thanks, Hail..." She smiled and pet him carefully.

Olie glanced between the three, deciding to just get Alejandra's offer over with.

"Okay so let me explain what happened first...me and Kai went in there to get Alexandrite and suddenly his mom decides to grab me and hold a gun to my head." Riot and Mikau turned around in their seats to listen. Silence fell over the van and seven pairs of eyes fell on her.

"Uh...so she holds a gun to my head and starts saying all this bullshit about family and Kai and whatever. She offered to keep us all in the gang as long as Kai stuck around with Alexandrite. He said no and _bang._ This bitch decks him off the loft-thingy." She gestured with her hands for emphasis. The attention shifted onto Malakai and he waved everyone off.

"I'm fine, it doesn't even hurt. Keep talkin' Ol." He received unimpressed looks.

"We'll talk later boyo. For now, keep going Olie." Astoria narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to Olie.

"Right...I go up to her, Kai's passed out from the fall, and she says. 'I wanna make you and your friends top set of the Fedeltá's. If you don't say yes and try to run I'll have you killed'...or along those lines. That's pretty much what she said. Thoughts?" Olie looked around at everyone.

"Top set...? That's gonna piss off a lot of the older members who have been around for a while...no offense but you guys aren't the most popular people in the gang and Irene? Man, they hate you and your dad..." Malakai spoke quietly.

"Yeah, shit..." Astoria mumbled.

"I guess she must really want you to stay, Kai." Irene leaned back against the wall of the van, looking down at him.

"I wish it was for better reasons...look, I don't want to drag y'all deeper into this but it's our only option. She _will_ have us all murdered if we run." He sighed.

Silence fell over the van for several moments, everyone getting lost in their own thoughts.

"Well...if there's nothing else we can do I guess we gotta do it." Riot spoke, adjusting his visor. Mikau nodded silently.

"Yeah...if we run its suicide and hey, maybe it won't be so bad? Being top set will have perks, I assume." Quantum spoke up.

"I can't leave Alexandrite anyway...not alone with my mom. She's even more insane after my dad died. No telling what she could to her when I'm not there..." Malakai ran his fingers through his hair.

"Welp guys, guess I'm officially one of you now." Irene snorted. Malakai stood up and almost fell over.

"Fuck...I mean, you were already one of us sorta. You hung out with all of us and everything. Only thing that's changing is now my moms...sorta okay with it?" He shrugged.

"Speaking of your mom, let's go tell her we said yes." Olie walked past him and opened the door, kicking down the ramp. Malakai made to follow her and she stopped him, placing a hand on his chest.

"You should stay here, you can barely walk." She walked out of the van and looked up as she felt something drop on her head. _Snow..._

"Oh fuck yeah, it's snowing." Malakai poked his head out and looked around.

"No. Get back in the van. You're gonna hurt yourself even more." Olie glared at him. He glared back, his eyes flashing stubbornly.

"No. I'm not gonna fall."

He took a step out of the van and immediately face planted.

"...so yeah. We'll do it, we'll be the top set..." Olie watched as Alejandra paced in front of her, she looked jumpier than before. Alexandrite squirmed in her arms and reached out to Olie.

"Owie. Owieee." Alejandra sighed and handed her over Olie. As she did, Olie caught sight of small red dots on her arm, right over her vein. She resisted the urge to comment and focused on Alexandrite, smiling at the baby.

"Good, good..." She stopped pacing and stared at Olie, her pupils blown wide. _That is fucking terrifying._

"So...do you not have another top set or are we replacing some people?" Olie asked her.

"Replacing." Alejandra stayed perfectly still in front of her, suddenly looking exhausted.

"Uh...right. What's happening to the old top set? Are they getting demoted?"

Alejandra hummed and took Alexandrite back.

"Hah. No. They're getting killed, they won't be happy about this so...might as well save me some trouble." She began poking Alexandrite on the stomach, much to the baby's displeasure.

"Oh...cool." Olie nodded, glancing away.

"So! I don't trust you, the Rune girl and that Niall's hellspawn. You're all moving into the mansion so I can keep an eye on you!" Alejandra grinned cheerfully. Olie stared at her blankly, her mind not registering the words.

"...you're serious?"

Alejandra nodded. "Yes. Now go tell everyone." She waved her off. Olie stared at her for a few seconds before slowly walking out of the house.

She carefully made her way down the steps, they were now covered in a thick layer of snow. Olie opened the door to the van and climbed inside, greeted with the sight of Malakai walking back and forth in the space between the two benches, his arms held out for balance.

"Alejandra says that me, Irene, and Astoria have to move into the mansion." She said bluntly, plopping down next to Irene.

"REALLY-?" Malakai whipped around to face her, tripping over his legs and face planting again. Quantum groaned and helped him up.

"Could you be any more obvious?" He hissed to him. Irene burst out laughing and clutched her stomach. Olie blinked, choosing not to comment.

"Yes, really. She doesn't trust us so she wants to keep a close eye on us." Olie shrugged.

"Well...I guess it's not a bad thing, I mean. It's a mansion. Plus, then we all get to live together. It'll be like a party." Astoria spoke up, garnering nods of agreement.

"Do you need a ride to pick up anything?" Mikau asked. Astoria glanced at Olie and shrugged.

"I mean...nothing import-oh fuck! Tango!"

"Nice, you almost forgot him." Olie snorted. Astoria sighed.

"Right, so we'll go pick up Tango and anything else we see there and be back. I'm guessing you two don't want to come?" Astoria looked at Irene and Malakai.

"Not that I don't want to come, I just don't want to leave Alexandrite with my mom for too long. You wanna come with me, Irene?" Malakai turned to her.

"Sure, why not?" She stood up and walked out of the van, Malakai following after her slowly. Olie closed the doors behind them and sat down next to Astoria again.

"Let's go then!" She called to Mikau. Olie stared at the metallic floor of the van and shook her head.

_I can't believe we almost forgot the fucking snake._


	11. Chapter XI: Irene

_Irene sighed as she looked around her new room. She didn't have_ anything in it besides the bed provided for her. She couldn't go back home, not after Lloyd found out about her and Astoria. Her father probably already knew she was a traitor, she wasn't going to risk her life over the meaningless things in her room.

Hail scampered into her room, his eyes bright, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, he looked perfectly okay despite the bandage on his head. He ran in hopped on her bed, curling up into a ball. Malakai walked in after Hail, looking exhausted.

"You need anything?" He yawned. She walked over to him.

"No...when's the last time you slept? You've got crazy big bags under your eyes..." She leaned closer to examine them.

He turned his head to the side and stepped back. "I don' know. Don't worry 'bout it. You sure you don't need anything?" He spoke quickly and changed the subject.

"I need you to _sleep_." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of her room. She pulled him into his room and pushed him towards his bed.

"I'm fine, really..." He sat down on his bed and looked at her. She shut the door and locked it before hitting his light switch, knowing his mother would kill them if she knew Irene set foot in his room.

"You said you don't even remember the last time you slept. Doesn't sound fine to me." Irene sat next to him and cocked an eyebrow, locking eyes with him. He looked away and inhaled loudly before swinging his legs on the bed and laying down.

"I'd sleep more if I could..." He said quietly, rolling on his side to look at her. She laid down and faced him.

"Well...you said you sleep better with other people in the room, right...?" She asked softly.

"Yeah..." He glanced away again.

"Then problem solved." She smiled at him. He smiled back and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Thank you..." His eyes started closing again. His breathing relaxed and he soon fell asleep. Irene stared at his face for a few moments until her phone buzzed.

She carefully rolled on her opposite side and made to sit up when his arm tightened around her.

"Don' go..." He slurred out. She snorted and looked over her shoulder at him. His yellow-brown eyes stared blearily back at her, barely visible in the dim room.

"I'm right here, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." She reassured him, laying down again. He nodded and his eyes closed again. Irene pulled out her phone when he began snoring again and unlocked it.

**Dad**

**Irene, I swear if you don't come home right now I'm going to kill you.**

**1:30 AM**

**Dad**

**Lloyd better be lying about all of this, how could you do this shit to me?**

**2:03 AM**

**Dad**

**Does everything I've done for you mean nothing? Everything Lloyd's done for you, everything our gang has done for you...nothing? I really thought you weren't selfish, I raised you better than this. Now you're running around with the ex-leader of the fucking Ultios as well as Fedeltá members.**

**2:11 AM**

**Dad**

**I don't know where you're gonna go or where you are but you're sure as hell not coming back here. As far as I'm concerned, I have no daughter. You're dead to me. I see you on our territory and I'll shoot you myself. You're a traitor.**

**Now**

Irene stared at the texts. She read them over and over again, not really able to comprehend what she was seeing. She set her phone down and looked blankly at the dark red sheets underneath her.

She had no idea how long she sat there for. Light was suddenly shining in her eyes, she cursed and instinctively jerked back, slamming into something hard.

"Fuck, ow..." She rubbed the back of her head and looked at what she banged her head aginst. Malakai pulled his arm off her and rubbed his jaw, one eye shut in a wince.

"Ow...did you hit me...?" He asked sleepily.

"No no...the sun went in my eyes and I jumped back. Go back to sleep." She rested her head on his pillow again. He followed suit and put his arm around her again before scooting closer to her.

He started snoring softly and she resumed staring off into space, inking over her father's words. She eventually leaned against Malakai and focused on his breathing before falling asleep.

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt._ Irene almost threw her phone across the room when it started buzzing loudly. Malakai jerked awake against her before groaning, he buried his face half in his pillow and half in her hair.

"I'm gonna smash thing..." He mumbled, not fully awake. She snorted and looked at her phone.

**Olie**

Irene answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Irene uh...can someone unlock the door? We don't have a key and it looks like no one else is here." Olie spoke.

"Oh, shit...yeah, be down in a minute." She slipped free from Malakai's grasp and ignored his protests as she swung her legs over his bed.

"Phew, thank you. It's freezing out here and I think it's gonna snow again." Olie sounded relieved.

"Yeah, no problem. See you in a minute."

"Bye!"

She hung up and walked towards the door.

"You comin' back...?" Malakai called, making her pause.

"Yeah, sure." She shot him a smile before walking out of his room. She jogged down the steps and walked over to the door, seeing two distorted outlines through the designs in the glass window of the door. She opened it and the two walked in, Olie was holding a large snake cage in her arms.

"Hey, sorry we took so long. The truck ran outta gas." Astoria said as she walked into the mansion.

"It's alright, we were sleeping the whole time." Irene gestured for them to follow her. They made their way up the stairs and Malakai almost slammed into Olie as he left his room, eyes locked on his phone.

"Shit, sorry Ol." He apologized, stepping out of her way.

"It's alright..." She stopped and looked at the doors. "Which room is ours?" She asked.

"Ah...you guys are gonna have to have separate rooms, my moms a little...homophobic..." He looked apologetic.

"Not surprising. Which rooms mine then?" He pointed to the one on her right.

"Astoria, do you want to keep Tango in your room?" Olie turned to her.

"Nah, you can keep my danger noodle." Astoria grinned a little. Olie facepalmed and walked into her room.

"Danger noodle." Irene echoed, laughing at how it sounded. Astoria nodded, completely serious.

"Danger noodle."

"Danger noodle..." Malakai tried the word, looking amused. He shook his head. "Heh, anyway. You can have the room next to Olie's, Ast." He opened another door with one hand.

"Thanks." She walked into the room and looked around.

"No problem..." Malakai mumbled, staring at his phone again. He walked back to his room hurriedly. Irene followed him and leaned against the doorframe, watching as he pulled out two pistols from his dresser, a Desert Eagle and a Glock 17. The top of the Desert Eagle was painted a sleek dark red.

"Where are you going?" She asked him. He pocketed the Desert Eagle and walked over to his doorframe. He stopped and turned to her.

"Quantum called me, said there's Banda's dealin' on our territory. A lotta them." He replied.

"And you're going out to face them?" She followed him as he walked to Olie's room and knocked on her door.

"Of course I am, I have to." He grunted. Olie opened the door and he tossed her the Glock. She caught it with ease and looked down at it.

"What's this for?" She sounded confused as she examined the gun.

"Well, what is it?" He gestured to the gun.

"Glock 17. Gen 4." She replied without hesitation. Malakai's eyebrows shot up and he glanced at Irene, the two exchanging surprised looks.

"Right, yeah...that's exactly what it is. You know how to use it?"

Olie nodded.

"Alright, good. You're coming with me, there's Banda's dealing on our territory. They're getting too aggressive and cocky. They needa learn a lesson." His eyes darkened. Olie nodded and he walked out of the room.

"Where you guys going?" Astoria looked at them. She was leaning over the railing on the loft.

Malakai explained the situation and she straightened up.

"You're going without us?" She glanced at Irene.

"Yes. Quantum said neither of you are to do any form of physical activity. Going on a potentially dangerous trip like this is probably gonna have physical activity." Malakai nodded his head.

"No physical activity? Not a single thing?" Irene asked, raising an eyebrow. Malakai nodded slowly, looking slightly suspicious.

"No...?"

She smirked and shook her head, snorting in amusement. "We'll see how long you keep saying that after you realize what that means for you."

She leaned against the railing next to Astoria.

Olie and Malakai exchanged glances and shrugged before going down the stairs.

"Olie!" Astoria called down. Olie looked up as she opened the front door.

"Huh?"

"I love you! Don't die." Astoria grinned at her. Olie smiled back.

"Love you too, I'll try not to."

Olie and Malakai disappeared out of the door and Irene turned to Astoria.

"How are you feeling?"

Astoria shrugged. "Tired. Olie and Quantum refused to let me lift a single thing. I was shot in my _stomach_ though. Not my arms." She waved her arms around for emphasis.

"Well...Quantum's the doctor, I guess he has a good reason for not wanting either of us to do anything." She shrugged. "Still, this is gonna get really boring really quick."

Astoria sighed and nodded. "I gotta lay down, I can't stand anymore. I think I'm still recovering from blood loss..." She stopped leaning on the wall and straightened up. She took a step towards her room and stumbled.

"Shit."

Irene walked over. "You need a hand...?"

Astoria shook her head, her expression tight with concentration. She took a single step forward and stumbled. Irene instinctively jumped forward and slid an arm around her, ducking under Astoria's outstretched arm.

"Oh. Thank you." Astoria slowly wrapped her arm around Irene's shoulders. The two walked slowly to Astoria's room and Irene sat down with her.

"Thanks again." Astoria shifted so she could lay down.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Irene stood up to go back to her room and sat down again as she was hit with a wave of dizziness.

"Fuck. What the hell?" She rubbed her head. Astoria set a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted to go get some more sleep but I'm dizzy as hell..."

Astoria nodded slowly and glanced away, seemingly thinking of something.

"You wanna stay here?" She blurted out. Irene slowly turned to look at her. Astoria looked down at her lap, messing with her fingers.

Irene nodded after a moment. "If you're okay with that." Astoria nodded and shuffled over before patting the spot next to her. Irene slid next to her and leaned her back against the headboard. They sat in silence for a bit when Irene suddenly felt a hand grab hers. Astoria turned to her and Irene smiled at her interlocking their fingers. Astoria smiled back, looking happy.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out with her other hand, ignoring the texts from her dad. She opened the most recent one, from Kai and looked at it.

**_Kai_ **

**Quantum's coming to check on you two, you guys feeling alright?**

**Now**

**Yep. Are you driving right now?**

**Read 9:22AM**

**  
** **  
** **_Kai_ **

**Nah, I'm letting Olie drive.**

**Now**

**_Kai_ **

**  
** **I gotta go, we're almost there. I love you.**

**Now**

**I love you too. Don't you dare die or get hurt.**

**Delivered 9:23**

Irene smiled a little as she sent the message and swiped through her phone, staring at the unopened messages from her dad. She took a deep breath and opened them.

Inside was an image of a black Tesla with dark tinted windows. The second image was of her father standing on top of a building, holding a sniper rifle.

Her blood ran cold and suddenly a video popped up. Astoria looked at her worriedly, squeezing her hand. "Are you okay...?"

Irene leaned against her and wordlessly held up the phone so they could both see the video. She pressed play. Her father stared at the screen, his cerulean blue eyes cold.

"This is what happens when you betray me, Irene. Every Fedeltá member better hear this message. You fuck with my family, my gang, I'll fuck wit' you right back." He knelt over the edge and aimed the scope down at the streets below.

The person behind the camera moved to show the streets of the city. A black Tesla was speeding down the street. _Bang!_ The bullet from Niall's gun fired into the back tire of the Tesla. The car spun out of control and slammed into a building, immediately lighting on fire. The camera cut to black. 


	12. Chapter XII: Astoria

_Astoria stared blankly at the screen. The video had ended a long time ago, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the phone. Irene dropped it onto her lap, looking stunned._

“I-I, there has to...that’s not fucking…” Astoria shook her head slowly.

“No. It’s not Kai’s car. It can’t be. I was just talking to him.” Irene’s hands shook as she picked up her phone again. She went to Malakai’s contact and hit call. Astoria pulled out her own phone and called Olie.

 _Come on, pick up…._ Neither answered their phones. She called Olie again, Irene doing the same with Malakai. The two stayed silent as they focused on calling them.

 _Tap tap._ A polite knock on the door nearly scared Astoria out of her skin.

“C-come in!” She called, looking down at her phone again.

Quantum walked into the room cheerfully, his backpack swung over one shoulder.

“Howdy! I’m here for a checkup, how are you two feel-

Astoria jumped off the bed and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. She shook him and glared down at him.

“Where the fuck is Kai and Olie!?” She yelled at him. His eyes widened and he grabbed her wrists.

“I-I don’t know? I was just talking to Kai, they were almost to Dutchtown.”

Astoria shook him again and Irene slid off the bed, shakily prying her off Quantum. He shot her a grateful look and turned to Astoria as she began speaking again.

“You need to take us there. Now.” She snapped.

“Wh-no! You got beaten up yesterday-“ He pointed to Irene before turning to Astoria. “-and you got shot three times! You two need to rest before you cause some _serious_ damage to your bodies.” Quantum crosses his arms. “What would Kai and Olie say?” He interrupted as Irene and Astoria opened their mouths to protest.

“They’d tell us to rest, _but_ if it was us in that car they would be over there in a heartbeat, regardless of whatever injuries they had,” Astoria replied, her voice surprisingly steady despite the fear worming its way into her gut.

Quantum’s arms slowly dropped to his sides, he looked confused. “What’s up with the car?”

“Didn’t you...didn’t you see the video?” Irene spoke, holding up her phone.

“The one from your dad? I ignored it. I’m not touching anything from him, nuh-uh.” He cut his hands through the air for emphasis.

Irene shoved her phone in his face and pressed play in the video. Quantum watched it, his eyes widening as the video played. He stepped back and leaned against the wall, his skin going the same color as the white wall.

“O-oh God…” He mumbled.

“So? Now will you take us there!?” Astoria said impatiently. He shook his head and straightened up, gripping his head.

“I-I need to change your bandages first and check your stomach Irene...I’ll take you both there though.” His voice sounded distant. Irene and Astoria glanced at each other before sitting on the edge of the bed.

He set his supplies next to Astoria and pulled up her shirt quickly. He started cleaning the bullet wounds and she hissed, cringing at the pain. Irene grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers, her expression worried. Astoria gave her a weak smile. Quantum quickly re-bandaged the bullet holes and pulled her shirt back down before moving onto Irene.

“The bruising’s healing quickly, amazing…” He scanned her face and glanced at her exposed stomach. “Swelling’s going down...have you been feeling okay?” He looked up at her face. She nodded, her fingers fidgeting in Astoria’s hand.

Quantum turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I’ve been feeling alright too. Can we go now?” She asked impatiently. Quantum nodded tensely and stood up.

“Let me give you both a shot first.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out two syringes. He filled them both with a clear liquid.

“A shot of…?” Irene watched the needle as Quantum grabbed her wrist and held it up.

“Magic healing liquid.” He plunged the syringe into her arm, making her wince.

He tossed the empty syringe into a bag, slapped a bandaid on the mark and pulled out another one.

Astoria glared at him as he injected it into her arm. “Magic healing liquid my ass.”

“Can’t reveal what it is, sorry. Doctor’s secret.” He tossed the syringe into the bag and tied it. He put a bandaid on Astoria’s arm.

“Let’s go.” Astoria stood up and Irene followed her. Astoria reached into the backpack next to her bed and pulled out her knife, Venia, and a semi-automatic pistol.

“Let me grab my gun, I’ll meet you downstairs.” Irene walked out of the room. Astoria strapped her knife to her thigh and pocketed the gun. Quantum zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“You're good to drive, I guess. As long as you got some rest...?" He gave her a questioning look and she nodded. _Five minutes of sleep is rest._ "You taking your bike?" He asked as she practically bolted out of the room.

“Yeah, that van is way too fucking slow…” She shot down the stairs and threw open the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” She froze as Alejandra appeared from the living room.

“Malakai and Olie...his car-“

“I’ve seen the video. It's _your_ fault!” She whipped to face Irene as she ascended the steps. Irene froze at the accusation, her eyes widening. Astoria stared at Alejandra for several seconds, unable to believe what she was hearing. Irene slowly walked forward and stood next to Astoria.

“What makes you say that...?” She said lowly.

“If you had never met my son this would’ve never happened. Niall wouldn’t have targeted him if he didn’t know about your relationship with him.” Irene opened her mouth to argue but Alejandra swept on.

“ _Don’t_ deny it! I know you two have been sneaking around together for the last two years. I see everything that goes on with him, he just doesn’t know it. You two thought you were gettin’ past me, didn’t you?” She stepped closer to Irene, unaffected by the fact that Irene towered over her.

Quantum looked worriedly between the two. Astoria tapped him on the shoulder as Alejandra began talking again.

“Go find Kai and Olie, I’ll bring Irene on the bike. We’ll meet you there.” She said quietly. He nodded gratefully.

“Make sure they don’t kill each other.” He was out the door before she could reply. _No promises there._

Astoria turned back to the argument and saw Irene clearly trying to hold her temper. Her fists were clenched and her jaw was set, her cerulean eyes blazing with fire. _Oh shit._

“-been better if you never joined this gang, you've been here a day and look at what you've done! Malakai doesn’t love you or care about _you_. All that man cares about is your pretty face and bod-“

Irene snapped.

She lunged forward and slammed her fist right into Alejandra’s jaw. Alejandra stumbled and crashed into the small table next to the door. Before she had a chance to recover, Irene punched her on the opposite side, followed by an uppercut. She angled her leg to make Alejandra trip and drop to the floor as she stumbled again from the force of the blows.

“You _bitch._ I’m sick of hearing your mouth. You’re a psychotic, abusive, manipulative monster. You don’t deserve to be called a mother.” With that, she kicked Alejandra in the ribs. _Crack!_

“I’d do more if I didn’t have to go make sure two of the most important people in my life aren’t _dead._ You wouldn’t care if they were dead though, would you?” Irene stormed towards the door and Astoria slammed her back against it to get out of her way. Irene grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the door.

“Uh, bye!” She called to Alejandra, who was on the floor gasping for air. Astoria caught the door and slammed it shut behind them. Irene pulled her to the bottom of the marble steps and dropped her head in her hand, shaking. She took several deep breaths and Astoria wrapped her arms around her gently. Irene returned the hug, trying to control her breathing.

“Kai’s gonna want to kill me…” Irene mumbled.

“I really don’t think that’s what he’s gonna want to do to you after he hears how you finally beat Alejandra up. He’s gonna be proud as hell.” Astoria pulled away from the hug, keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulders as she started to lead her to the black motorcycle parked in the driveway.

Irene nodded slowly as she walked with her, laughing shakily. “Yeah, you’re probably right...I’m forgetting he hates her.” She shook her head.

Astoria led Irene to her motorcycle and handed her a helmet. She pulled on her own and sat on the bike. Irene sat behind her and she started the engine, revving it with the hand brakes.

“Didn’t Quantum say you shouldn’t be handling heavy machinery?” She called over the engine, wrapping her arms around Astoria’s waist.

“Quantum said I should be good to go! Plus, he injected me with ‘magic healing liquid’! I’ll be fine! Now hang on!” She kicked the kickstand and shot out of the circular driveway. She briefly thought about her health before deciding she felt fine and that maybe whatever Quantum had injected her with _was_ magical.

Then she discarded the thought completely and decided it was just some really powerful pain medicine.

_One thing’s for sure, Quantum’s a crazy good doctor._

She broke several laws on the way to Dutchtown, mainly running red lights and ignoring every traffic signal in the book.

“ASTORIA YOU ALMOST HIT THAT OLD LADY!” Irene slapped her shoulder.

“WELL, SHE’S ALIVE ISN’T SHE?” She yelled back, taking a sharp turn. Their argument ended abruptly when they saw a smoking Tesla in the middle of the street, surrounded by firefighters and police officers.

Astoria jumped off the bike, almost sending Irene flying to the pavement as she still had her arms wrapped around her. Irene stumbled and whipped out her phone, rapidly typing on it.

“Quantum says he found Kai and Olie, they’re fine, they got out of the car in time. He said they’re on the block past the fire engines, in the alley next to Nicolo’s Pizza.” She said quickly, shoving her phone in her pocket. Astoria nodded and got back on her bike.

“Hey! You two! What do you think you’re doing, the street’s cl-“ A police officer stormed over and froze when he saw the roaring dark blue panther head engraved in the front of Astoria’s bike.

Irene slipped in the bike behind her and leaned against her back as Astoria pulled off her helmet.

“Problem?” She asked the officer, watching the color drain from his face.

“I-uh-no. Keep going, s-sorry to bother you.” He darted off to join his co-workers without another word. Astoria smirked and put her helmet back on. She made a sharp u-turn and drive towards Nicolo’s pizza.

“That guy’s face was priceless! I’ve never seen someone go so pale!” Irene laughed.

“I know, right? That was fucking great!” Astoria spotted Nicolo’s pizza and jerked her bike into the alley next to it. She shot down the narrow alley and slammed to a halt when she almost ran over Malakai, who was sitting across from Quantum and Olie.

“HOLY SHIT!” He yelled and scrambled away from the bike as it stopped a millimeter away from his face. He clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

“I think I’m having a heart attack, oh god.” He mumbled. Irene leaped off the bike and set her helmet on the floor before running over to him. Astoria pulled off her own helmet and dropped it before grabbing Olie in a tight hug.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I’ll fucking kill him, I swear…” She checked over Olie, only finding a few bruises.

“We’re fine, Kai jerked the wheel and mostly the back part got hit. We got out before the fire could get us.” Olie replied, hugging her again.

Quantum stood up and mumbled something about making sure no one came down the alley. He awkwardly slipped out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.

Astoria glanced at Malakai, he was staring at her, his fingers messing with Irene's hand. Irene followed his gaze and elbowed him, looking amused. He turned away, looking embarrassed.

“Get over here boyo. You almost died too. Bring Irene with you.” She patted the floor before regretting it when she realized how disgusting the alley floor was.

He stood up and pulled Irene with him, keeping his arm securely around her waist. They sat down on Astoria’s other side and she dragged the two of them into the hug with Olie.

The four sat in comfortable silence for a while.

“Hey uh...I think I might need a new car after this one.”

Three simultaneous facepalms followed his statement.

“What? Do you think they can salvage it? I mean maybe they can take parts from it and…”


	13. Chapter XIII: Olie

_"You beat up my mom!?"_

_Malakai almost dropped the shot in his hand as he stared at Irene. Her gaze slid away as Astoria burst out laughing._

"You're not fuckin' with me? You _actually_ beat her up?" He looked between Astoria and Irene. Olie couldn't tell if he was more shocked or happy.

"...sort of? It wasn't that big of a de-"

"Woah, bullshit." Astoria cut Irene off. "She was fucking _hot,_ you guys shoulda seen her. She decked Alejandra into a table and sent her to the floor. Then she kicked her in the fucking ribs and broke one of 'em!" Astoria grinned at Irene, who started smiling as Astoria spoke. The blush that appeared on her face showed she didn't miss Astoria calling her hot.

Malakai looked at Irene and grabbed her hand. "I fucking _love you."_ He leaned over and kissed her.

"I love you too, Kai." They knocked their shots together and tossed them back. Astoria raised her eyebrows and looked at her own shot before turning to Olie.

"Bottoms up?" She asked her. Olie nodded and tapped her glass against Astoria's. She cringed at the taste as she tilted the glass, making the liquid go down her throat. She swallowed quickly and shook her head.

Malakai studied her for several seconds before his gaze shifted to Astoria, and eventually Irene. Irene did the same and the two stared at each other for several seconds. Malakai cleared his throat and stood up, pushing his chair in.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." He ran his fingers through his hair and walked away, disappearing into the dark hallway that leads to the bathrooms.

Quantum walked over and set four more shots in front of them, quickly collecting their empty glasses.

"On the house, you guys need a break." He said quickly as Olie, Astoria, and Irene gave him confused looks. Irene nodded, her gaze flickering back to the bathroom.

"Thanks, Q." He smiled and walked back behind the counter with Riot. Irene stood up and downed her shot without taking her eyes off the hallway.

"I'll be right back." She set the glass down and quickly walked off. Olie's gaze followed her for a few seconds before she turned back to Astoria.

"Think they're up to something?" Olie asked her, noting the slightly off behavior.

"Maybe? Dunno...they could just be going to the bathroom." Astoria shrugged and took her shot. Olie stared at hers for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. She picked it up and pressed it to her lips.

"Do you...like _like_ Irene and Kai-"

Olie choked on the alcohol, cringing as it burned her throat worse than normal. She coughed and Astoria rubbed her back, looking sheepish.

"Shit, was I wrong? I'm sorry, you just send them these looks sometimes and I was wondering if you did, I know you're poly and all and I am too so-" Olie pressed her finger against Astoria's lips and choked out a 'shh'.

"Okay, first off...you're right I _do_ like them like that...I was gonna talk to you about it because I came to terms with it recently. But we've just been busy as hell so it wasn't really on my mind. You like them too...right?" Olie removed her finger from Astoria's lips and studied her.

Astoria nodded. "I-I do, yeah." Olie grabbed her hand under the table and interlocked their fingers.

"Should we...tell them?" Astoria spoke after a few beats of silence.

"I dunno...what if they don't like us back and it makes things awkwa-"

Quantum popped up out of nowhere, making Astoria and Olie jump.

"Howdy, I have more shots. And yes, they both definitely like you back." He set down four more shots and took the three empty glasses.

"Wh-wait, how do you know!?" Astoria grabbed his wrist as he started walking away again.

"Easy, they give you two the same look they always give each other, and they act the same way they did with _you_ that they did with each other _before_ they got together. It's pretty entertaining to watch." He replied cheerfully.

Astoria and Olie looked at each other, processing Quantum's quick talking. "Anything else you guys need? Fries? Mozzarella sticks? Dating advice despite the fact I've never dated anyone?"

Astoria squinted at him. "Have you had anything to drink?"

Quantum shook his head. "Nah, we're all just impatient for you four to get together and it looks like it finally might happen! I'm happy and so are the others." He started walking away.

"Wait, who are the others!?" Astoria called after him. He raised a hand to acknowledge her but didn't turn around or offer a verbal response.

"...I get the feeling that the only people that didn't know we liked each other was us..." Olie mumbled, picking up her third shot.

Astoria snorted and glanced up, scanning over the people in the bar. Olie watched as a guy stumbled around on the karaoke stage, drunkenly belting out _Milkshake._

"MY MILKSHAKE BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD! AND THEY'RE LIKE, IT'S BETTER THAN YOURS!" He yelled, winking sloppily. Irene and Malakai appeared through the crowd and the guy pointed to Malakai.

"DAMN RIGHT! IT'S BETTER THAN YOURS!"

Malakai stares at him for several seconds, his eyes narrowing and his mouth opening slightly. The few sober people in the bar recognized him and their eyes widened. Their gazes trailed from him to Irene, to Astoria and Olie, getting bigger as they went on. Malakai kept glaring at the drunk man, ignoring the stares, before he burst into loud laughter. Irene rolled her eyes, chuckling quietly as she grabbed him and dragged him over to the table.

"Holy fuck, I never thought I'd see the day a drunk man told me his milkshake was better than mine." Malakai looked at the two shot glasses in front of his spot and downed one of them quickly.

"I mean...he does have a pretty nice milkshake." Astoria hummed and held her shot to her lips. "Yours is nicer though." 

She tipped the drink down her throat, staring Malakai right in the eyes. Irene's eyebrows shot up and she glanced at Olie. Olie shrugged in response, noting Astoria's words were a little slurred.

Malakai flushed and quickly emptied his next shot glass.

"Yeah, well..." He started smiling and stared at the table, looking happy and surprised at the same time. Astoria grinned at the reaction, looking pleased with herself.

Olie glanced between the three of them and took a deep breath. _Okay. Calm down. You've been near all three of them at once before. Nothing new, this is_ ** _fine._** She suddenly became aware of Irene on her other side. Olie turned and jumped to her feet when she realized she was face to face with the exposed skin from between Irene's crop top.

Irene didn't notice, too busy giving Astoria a concerned look as she began talking.

"Irene, my head hurts, why does it hurt so much...?" She complained, attempting to stand up. Olie turned away from the two, attempting to ignore the fact that she was turning red. _That just happened. That just fucking happened. That ju-_

"So, how've you been Olie?" Malakai threw an arm around her shoulders, turning her into a blushing mess.

"Good you?" She forced herself to keep her voice steady.

"I'm great...you sure you're okay though? You look like you've got a fever or somethin'..." He looked at her, his yellow-brown eyes dark with worry.

"'M fine!" Olie whimpered out, looking down at the floor. She felt Malakai's arm tighten around her shoulders and became aware of him having a silent conversation with Astoria. By the time she gathered up the courage to look up, their conversation was over.  
  
"Wow, where'd you learn to turn into a tomato?" Olie looked up at Irene's joke. She stuttered and couldn't form a coherent response. She took a deep breath.

"Uh...I have to t-to tell y-y-you guys s-something." She looked down again, frustrated over not being able to get what she wanted to say out.

Astoria walked over to Olie, standing on the side opposite to Malakai. "It's okay love, take your time." She said quietly to Olie. Olie looked up and glanced between the three of them before taking a deep breath. _Just say it and get it over with..._

"I...really like you, Kai, and, you too Irene..." She blurted out, looking away as soon as the words were out, feeling herself flush harder now that she finally confessed.

"Wait...really? You do?" Malakai asked, sounding excited. Olie saw Irene start smiling hugely from the corner of her eye.

"Wait, do you also like..." Irene looked at Astoria, who nodded, grinning.

"Shit Irene, you were right...they do like us back." Malakai sounded relieved. Irene grinned and Astoria grabbed them both, wrapping the three of them into a hug.

"All my fucking dreams just came true..." She mumbled. Olie stayed quiet, enjoying being wrapped in their arms.

The four slowly stopped hugging and pulled away from each other.

"So...I guess we're doing this then," Malakai spoke, fidgeting with the bottom of his jacket.

Astoria nodded and threw an arm around him. "Fuuck yeah we are boyo."

He smiled at her, starting to look a little dazed.

"We should celebrate." He looked around for Quantum and waved him over when he caught his eye.

"Let me guess...more shots for the happy...quadple?" Quantum asked as he walked over, grinning. _Quadple...? Huh. Got a nice ring to it..._

"Fuck yeah!"

"Woahhh, yoo, guys. Check it out, look. The sky's like...spinning." Olie stumbled into Irene who burst out laughing.

"Fuckk, you're right Olie. That's amazinnnggg." She grinned, wrapping her arms around her. Olie looked around.

"Wha-where'd Kai and Story goo..." She spotted them, they were attempting to figure out how to open the door to the bar.

"Nooo! You gotta push it!" Astoria shook Malakai, who grabbed her face, his eyes widening.

"You're so smart woahhh." He released her and stared at the door for several seconds before shoving his shoulder against the glass.

"Yeahh!" Astoria cheered him on, clapping. Riot sighed, waving Mikau and Quantum over. Olie dragged Irene over to Astoria and Malakai.

"Uh...someone grab Kai before he busts a through the glass." Riot pointed to the man as he started backing away from the door, his eyes narrowing.

"I'mma ram 'dis bitch."

Quantum yelped and ran over.

"Let's not ram any bitches tonight, alright buddy?" He stops in front of Malakai, making him look confused.

"Boooo!" Olie yelled, taking a step forward and tripping over herself. Mikau grabbed her and picked her up, slinging her over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"What the fuckkk man, you can't just do that..." Irene stumbled over and punched Mikau. The only problem with that was 1. She was extremely drunk and the punch didn't do much. And 2. Punching Mikau was like punching a brick wall. He looked down at her for several seconds and she stared back.

"Nooo!" He picked her up and slung her over his other shoulder.

"Riot, you got Ast?" Quantum asked, dragging Malakai towards the door.

"Right, yeah. Leave me to the woman who's two inches short of being two feet taller than me. Nice..." Riot grumbled, grabbing Astoria's arm and beginning to lead her to the door.

Malakai slung his arm around Quantum's shoulders.

"Pssst! Quantum!"

"Yes, Kai?"

Malakai looked around as if he was making sure no one was looking.

"My mom's gonna be pissedddd, I got three girlfriendssss." He giggled. Quantum winced.

"Ah...yeah. Better keep quiet about that tonight though, alright?" He lead him out the door, towards his silver truck.

"Yessirrr-wait, lemme go, I wanna go back with them." He started flailing around.

"Kai! No! Stop it!"

Olie started poking Irene as Mikau followed Riot and Astoria.

"Ireneee, why are you upside down?" Olie asked, accidentally poking Irene directly in the eye.

"Why _aren't_ you upside down?" Irene countered, raising a finger to sloppily point it at Olie.

Olie's eyes widened. "Woahhhhh!"

Mikau gently set Irene into the blue Camaro, scooting her over to Astoria, who was looking around at everything with awe, like she'd never been inside a car before.

"Ireeneee." Astoria grabbed her and hugged her. Irene hugged her back and promptly passed out. Mikau set Olie down next to Irene and began buckling the three of them in. Riot sighed and rested his head on the steering wheel.

"NO! MALAKAI DON'T YOU DA-" The trunk flew open and Malakai launched himself into it. He slammed it shut in Quantum's face and held it closed, cackling to himself.

"Kaiii!" Olie shouted, twisting in her seat to reach for him. He released the trunk handle and kneeled down, dropping his head onto the back of the seats.

"Olieee." She started messing with his long, dark red-brown hair.

"What the fuckkk. Your hair is so soft." She slurred, continuing to mess with it. He leaned into her hand, one eye closing blissfully.

Riot slid into the car, a scowling Quantum sliding into the passenger seat. Mikau shut the door after making sure everyone was buckled in.

"If Kai dies back there it's on your head," Quantum grumbled. "Do you know how dangerous the trunk is? Especially without a seatbelt? Statistics show that 1.7 _million_ rear-end car accidents happen a year. Do you know much of a chance that I-" Riot slapped a hand over Quantum's mouth.

"Quantum. I love you man. But shut up."

He moved his hand away and started driving. Quantum crossed his arms. Olie started yelling in the back about how soft Malakai's hair was, much to his delight and Quantum's displeasure.

Riot let out a long sigh. "This is gonna be a long-ass car ride..."


	14. Chapter XIV: Irene

_Irene's eyes slowly opened. She shut them immediately as a bright light shone directly in her eyes, making the already painful headache she had hammer her skull further._

_Her eyes opened again and she shifted her head to look_ around when she felt a heavy weight on her chest. She looked down and saw Malakai's head resting there. Olie was curled under her left arm, huddled against her side, one hand thrown across Irene's stomach, gripping Malakai's hand. Astoria was pressed against his back, her head buried in his shoulder, one arm laying across his arm and resting on Irene's upper torso.

 _...holy shit this is the best way I've ever woken up. Minus the headache._ She laid her head back down and stared at the ceiling. 

She didn't remember much after Olie's confession. Everyone was fully clothed, that was a good sign. They hadn't done anything _too_ crazy last night.

Olie stirred under her arm and opened her eyes, blinking slowly. Irene stared at her as she stretched and yawned, her joints cracking. Olie caught her eye and gave her a small smile before settling against her, closer this time.

"Hey..." She said quietly, her bright blue eyes darting over to Malakai and Astoria.

"Morning...how are you feeling...?" Irene asked, subtly moving her arm around Olie, her hand resting between her shoulder blades.

"Amazing...except I have the worst headache..." Olie replied, rubbing her forehead.

"Yeah...I need coffee and medicine..." Irene mumbled, glancing at Malakai.

"Hopefully he wakes up soon unless you wanna push him off," Olie said, snorting as she looked at him. Irene shook her head, reaching down to mess with Malakai's hair.

"He never sleeps, I don't wanna risk waking him up. I can wait..." He leaned his head into her hand subconsciously and she smiled.

"...why doesn't he sleep?" Olie asked softly, her expression shifting to a concerned one.

"Nightmares." Right after she spoke, Malakai's eyes shot open. His eyes darted around, settling on what his head was currently laying on. He stared for a moment before turning to Olie. She smiled at him and he lazily smirked back.

"Mornin'..." He mumbled. He moved to stretch when Astoria mumbled something along the lines of 'roots bad' against his shoulder. He paused and glanced up as she scooted closer to him, his eyes widening. Irene snorted and pulled her hand from his hair. Malakai jumped, seeming to realize she was awake.

"I'm gonna go make coffee...you want some...?" She whispered. He nodded and Olie slowly sat up, hopping off the bed quietly. Irene followed her, sliding out from under Malakai. He rolled on his back slowly, being careful not to wake up Astoria. Her head dropped on his chest and he stretched, looking immensely relieved.

"Black, whipped cream?" Irene mouthed to him. He nodded and wrapped his arms around Astoria gently, relaxing back against the bed. Irene walked to the door and grabbed Olie's wrist as she reached for the door.

"Wait." She pressed her ear against the door and listened quietly. She pulled out her phone and checked the time, her eyes widening when she saw it was 12:32 PM in the afternoon. _Fuck, we slept half the day away...Kai's mom will be up any second..._

Olie stared at her, looking confused. Irene waved her over and pointed to the door. Olie pressed her ear against it just as footsteps sounded from outside the door. They sounded heavy on one side like someone was limping.

The footsteps faded downstairs and Irene slowly opened the door. She watched through the wooden bars of the banister as Alejandra limped towards the kitchen, holding a bundle in her arms. Even from her current spot, she could see the purple bruise on Alejandra's jaw and felt a flash of pride.

"Damn, you really hit her hard, didn't you..." Olie murmured, glancing up at Irene.

"Yeah...I finally had enough of her shit..." She walked out of the room, Olie following behind her. She shut the door behind them and walked down the stairs.

"How'd you know she was coming? We didn't hear her until after I got to the door and we've barely lived here for a day." Olie asked.

"You learn people's patterns when you sneak around a specific place a lot," Irene responded as they walked into the kitchen. Olie snorted and looked around.

"...where'd she go?"

Irene shrugged, plugging the black coffee maker into the wall. "I dunno, she was holding towels or something, maybe doing laundry in the basement?"

Olie nodded, watching as she poured coffee grounds and water in and turned the coffee maker on. "Need any help?"

"Yeah, can you grab four mugs?" Irene said, glancing at her briefly. Olie nodded.

"Where are they?"

"Shelf above your head." Irene grabbed the now full coffee pot and set it on the kitchen table. Olie pulled out four mugs and set them down next to the pot.

"How do you and Ast like your coffee?" Irene asked as she poured the liquid into the mugs.

"I like mine either black or really sweet, doesn't matter to me. Astoria likes hers in between, not too bitter, not too sweet." Olie said as she pulled out a chair and sat down in it. Irene nodded grabbing the sugar before opening the fridge to get whipped cream.

Olie sipped her coffee as she watched Irene dig around the drawer for a spoon. She found one and set everything down on the table.

"You think she'll want any whipped cream?" Irene asked as she carefully sprayed the cream on Malakai's coffee.

"Hmm...nah, I don't think she will," Olie said after thinking for a moment. Irene hummed and spooned sugar into Astoria's mug, stirring it quickly. She sat down across from Olie just as Astoria and Malakai walked into the room.

"Shit, I love the smell of coffee in the morning..." Malakai muttered, sitting down next to Irene.

"Me too...thanks, Irene." Astoria kissed her on the cheek quickly as she walked past before sitting on Malakai's other side. Irene flushed, hiding her grin into her hand as she stood up.

"I-I'm gonna go grab some pain medicine, my heads killing me." She smiled at Astoria as she walked out of the room. _Now...where do they keep the medicine again...?_ She walked down the hallway into the living room and looked around.

A wooden door was in the corner, next to the entryway that lead to the small room that divided the living room from the family room. The fireplace in the small, open room was on, the couch unoccupied and the TV above the fireplace off.

Irene strode over to the door and opened it slowly. Her mouth opened at the countless vials full of sticky black liquid, containers full of white powder, containers of clear crystals, and marked bags full of green. _Holy shit..._ she stepped back, staring at the various types of drugs. She slowly shut the door and ran her hand down her face. _Keeping this big of a store in the house...? Alejandra's so cocky..._

She stepped away from the door and headed towards the bathroom in the hallway. _Just gonna pretend I never saw that shit..._ Irene stepped into the bathroom and turned on the light. She grabbed the side of the mirror and opened it. Several needles fell out and one stabbed her in the arm.

"Oh fuck, oh _shit!_ " She panicked and yanked it out, examining the needle. It wasn't used and didn't have anything in it. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the other needles. All of them were used or full of heroin, except the one that stabbed her.

"Yo Irene! You alright?" Malakai called from the kitchen.

"Yeah! I just...thought I saw a rat." She called back, quickly grabbing the bottle of ibuprofen.

"Ah, you mean my mother?"

She smiled and shook her head, hearing Astoria and Olie laughing. She wrapped her hands in toilet paper and carefully put the needles back, washing her hands and the small puncture immediately after she was done.

Irene left the bathroom and walked back into the kitchen. "I got the pills." She said as she sat down.

"Thank god, I thought my head was gonna explode..." Malakai grumbled, rubbing his head. Irene snorted and opened the bottle, sliding the medicine over to the other three before setting two pills in front of herself.

"I wish there was some sort of...magic hangover medicine or something," Olie said, popping the pills into her mouth.

"Maybe Quantum can whip some up, that dudes got insane healing medicine, ifs like _magic."_ Astoria smiled a little.

"True, true...I don't know what he's got but it's fuckin' powerful...Oh yeah, he's dropping by here any minute to check on you and Irene." Malakai said, pointing to Astoria and Irene.

"I'm feeling better, honestly. The bruises don't hurt that much and they're fading quick...what about you, Ast?" Irene asked her. Malakai and Olie gave Astoria questioning looks and she looked down, fidgeting with her coffee.

"They uh...don't hurt that bad, I think I'll be okay soon." She said quickly, sipping her coffee as soon as she was done speaking. Her green eyes darted in between the three of them as they gave her unimpressed looks. She sighed and set her now empty mug down.

"Okay...they hurt like a bitch, but! Only when I lay funny or stretch, I can like...walk and stuff. Quantum's medicine makes me forget they're even there, they're healing just fine." She blurted out. The three stared at her for a moment longer before relaxing, seeing she was telling the truth.

Malakai's phone buzzed and he pulled it out, looking at it. His lip twitched and he typed quickly before shoving his phone back in his pocket.

"You guys down to go sell with me? A buyer wants me to meet 'em tonight, according to Alex's dad. I prefer all the backup I can get, this guy wants a shit ton of meth and meth addicts are jumpy as shit." He said as he stood up.

"Sure, why not?" Astoria shrugged her shoulders. Olie and Irene nodded. Malakai smiled.

"Great, we got time to kill then, Quantum's gonna-"

"Quantum's gonna what?" Quantum walked into the room, backpack on one shoulder.

"Look at you, walkin' in like you own the place." Malakai crossed his arms.

"Well...you'd be dead somewhere without me so I think I sort of have a right to this place. Plus, guess who took you four home last night and didn't do anything stupid? We did." Quantum shrugged, setting the backpack down and opening it. Malakai rolled his eyes and didn't give him a response.

"So, how are you two feeling?" He asked glancing at Irene and Astoria, standing up with a syringe full of clear liquid. Irene winced at the sight and rubbed her arm.

"I'm feeling alright, I don't need any more medicine. It's Ast I'm worried about," Irene said, jerking her head at Astoria. Quantum scanned her, his mismatched eyes expertly looking her over.

"Hm...I think you're right. They look okay now and he didn't break anything...are you sure you're not in any pain?" He walked over to Astoria as he spoke.

"Nah. I'm fine." Irene replied easily. Quantum hummed in response and examined Astoria.

"Alright...Astoria, if you can lay on the couch in there it'll be easier for me to change the bandages and we'll see how you're healing." He pointed down the hall to the living room. Astoria nodded and the two disappeared.

Malakai picked up the mugs and dumped them in the sink, rinsing them off. "Thanks for making us coffee Irene." Olie said softly.

"Yeah, it was no problem..." She smiled at Olie, who returned it.

"Hey Ol, you want a tour of the house after Astoria's done with Quantum?" Malakai walked over to her and leaned on the chair next to her.

"Sure! This place seems pretty huge..." She glanced around the kitchen. Malakai nodded.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big place, there's actually a..."

Irene felt her phone buzz and pulled it out, tuning out Olie and Malakai's conversation.

**Lloyd**

**Your dad might be okay with letting you run off with those fuckers unharmed but I aint all of them are gonna regret this shit and thats a promise**

**Now**

She stared at the text, watching as three dots popped up, showing he was typing again. Irene glanced at Olie and Malakai, watching as they smiled at each other throughout their conversation before her gaze shifted down the hall as Astoria laughed at something Quantum said.

**Lloyd. You try anything on any of them and I'll make you wish you were dead.**

**Now**

The three dots disappeared for a second and her message went on read. She scowled as the dots appeared again. _Dammit..._

**Lloyd**

**You think your threats bother me? I could kill you in a heartbeat and I sure as fuck can kill all 3 of them in seconds they aint shit and neither are you your too arrogant with them theyre lyin to you they dont care about you**

**Now**

Irene set her phone on Do Not Disturb and put it back in her pocket.

_Try it Lloyd, I dare you._


	15. Chapter XV: Malakai

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Malakai’s heart hammered in his chest as he reloaded his gun, ducking behind a car.

“Keep hiding Malakai! I’m gonna blow yer fuckin’ brains out last! Right after I make you watch everyone you love die right in front of you!” Lloyd bellowed from across the street, his voice sounding above the gunshots and yells that echoed from the street behind Malakai.

God fucking dammit, how did they catch us off guard…? He looked around, having no idea where anyone was. His hand gripped tightly on his gun, his knuckles white. Okay, I’ve been in shootouts before. Why the fuck am I so nervous? Nothing different this time… He ignored the voice telling him it was because he had a lot more to lose now.

A man suddenly scrambled behind the car, breathing heavily. His shirt was torn, blood pouring down from a stab wound. “Will! What the fuck!? You son of a bitch you said this was just gonna be a deal! The fuck you call this, huh!?” Malakai grabbed Alex’s father by the shirt and shook him violently.

Will shook his head, terror in his green eyes. “I-I-I didn’t k-k-know it was a s-s-setup.” Malakai shoved him to the pavement.

“This is all your fuckin’ fault, if anyone gets hurt I’ll beat the fuck outta you, alright? Go fuckin’ get help, my phone's service is fucked.” Will scrambled away, ducking behind cars. Malakai gripped his gun tighter as he heard footsteps running towards where he was crouched.

Bang! The side-view mirror of the car he was behind shattered as Lloyd burst into view, his gun aimed at Malakai’s head. His finger squeezed the trigger again and only a clicking noise sounded. Lloyd snarled and dropped the gun, lunging at Malakai. Malakai raised his own gun and fired, hitting him in the leg.

“FUCK! You son of a bitch!” Lloyd dropped to the ground, gripping his leg.

Malakai grabbed him and slammed the side of his Desert Eagle into Lloyd’s head. He dropped limp and Malakai shoved him against the car.

I’m coming back for your ass, that’s a promise. He raised his head as he heard footsteps rushing towards him at a blinding pace.

Olie shot across the street, her cheek bleeding. Several shots fired at her but she kept running. She slammed her hand down on the hood of the car in front of Malakai and hauled the rest of her body over it, smoothly sliding over the hood to land in a crouch. Malakai stared at her, stunned. She reached up and grabbed his shirt, dragging him down with her as he almost got shot.

“Close your mouth! You’re gonna catch bullets!” She hissed, nudging his jaw closed. He shook his head, blinking and focusing on the current task of not dying.

“Shit, sorry...that was just…wow.” He mumbled, not taking his eyes off her.

“We can talk about how badass that was later, right now we need to either win, or find everyone and get the fuck out of here.” She noticed Lloyd’s body and reached to her side, where she dropped her knife. She picked it up and aimed it at Lloyd.

“Can I cut him?” She asked eagerly.

“Later, look. Have you seen Irene and Astori-“ Niall Seymour burst out of the alley next to them, his jacket on fire. Irene slowly strode out of the alley after him, a flamethrower in her arms. She walked past Malakai and Olie, not seeming to notice them as she slowly walked after her father, her eyes ice cold.

“Shit...I’ve never seen her look like that, and I’ve seen her real fuckin' pissed before…” Malakai mumbled, staring after her. Olie nodded and he turned his attention away from Irene.

“Okay. There are five guys, two of them are busy, the other thr-“ “Two.” Olie interrupted him.

He gave her a confused look and she raised the hand with her knife in it up to the dim light of the flickering streetlamp above. He watched as blood trailed down her hand from the blade.

“Took care of her.” She smiled at him and wiped the blood off on Lloyd’s jacket. Malakai nodded slowly and stood up, offering her a hand.

“Nice job... let's go find Astoria, it’s too quiet back there for my liking.” He grunted. Olie grabbed his hand and stood up, quickly following him as he walked down the alley.

Malakai watched as a woman slowly stood up from behind a car, her arm raised to shoot. Bang! He shot her in the temple and she dropped to the floor.

“Remind me to tell Mikau to get us some silencers and flash hiders, this shit blows our cover…” Malakai muttered to Olie, poking his head out of the alley. A black shape charged towards him and he jumped back, throwing an arm out in front of Olie.

A knife flew into the man’s head as he turned on the alley and he stumbled into Malakai. Malakai winced and shoved his body off, pulling out the familiar black and green knife from the guys' head.

He tossed it to Astoria as she ran over and she caught it, putting it back in the sheath on her thigh. “Thanks Ast.” He nodded at her.

“No problem, he was annoying…” She messed with her gun for a few seconds. “Made me waste a ton of my ammo…”

Malakai nodded. “Let’s get outta here before the cops show up and make a scene.” He walked back down the alley and picked up Lloyd.

“Ast, go find Irene and take her home,” Malakai said as a black armored truck pulled up. Olie opened the doors and he tossed Lloyd’s body in carelessly, letting out an unapologetic ‘oops’ as his head cracked against the bars.

“Woah. Hold the fuck up, boyo. You two are not getting all the fun with him!” She protested as Olie walked into the van.

Malakai sighed. “Fine. Get in the van. Riot!” He raised his voice. Astoria grinned and hopped into the van, sitting next to Olie.

“What’s up?” Riot called back from the driver's seat.

“You seen Will?”

“He’s on his way with Mikau and Quantum.”

Malakai nodded. “Do me a favor and tell him to go to the garage, wait here. I gotta go find Irene…” He jogged off in the direction she and her father disappeared in. He looked around the street as he walked. It was about 3 AM, the few shops that were open when they arrived had gone dark since the shooting started. It was a fairly normal occurrence for shootouts to happen in this part of town, he felt a little bad about it, but no one got hurt.

Besides the dead Banda’s. He could live with that though.

He passed a smoldering jacket and paused. They’re nearby…

“I-Irene! Wait, I-I-I’m your father, you can’t kill me…” Malakai paused as he heard Niall’s voice from inside an abandoned building on his left. He slowly walked over and peered inside.

Irene was standing over her father, her back turned to Malakai. Niall was pressed against the wall, his eyes wide with panic, sweat beaded and dropped down his face.

“Funny, I think your exact words were…” Irene pulled out her phone casually and looked at it. “‘As far as I’m concerned, I have no daughter. You’re dead to me. I see you on our territory and I’ll shoot you myself. Traitor.’” She hummed and slid the phone back in her pocket, closing her other hand back on her flamethrower.

“Sound familiar?” Her voice was colder than ice. Malakai resisted the urge to shiver. Niall opened and closes his mouth like a fish.

“I-Irene your mothe-“

“Don’t you fucking dare.” She snarled, stepping closer to him. He fell silent, looking at a loss of what to do.

“Irene…” Malakai stepped inside the building. She froze before slowly turning her head to face him. The rest of her body stayed pointed at her father.

“We...we gotta go. We have stuff to do, Ast and Ol are waitin’ on us…” He tapped his fingers on the doorframe. She nodded slowly and turned back to her father.

“...Irene, I didn’t mean any of that...I was just upset, you know? I just didn’t want you to be around them...he’s corrupted you, with all this...polyamory bullshit.” He jerked his head at Malakai. “He’s a bad influence on you, Lloyd was so much better for you, he only wanted what’s best for yo-“

“That’s why he fucking abused me right? That’s why he hit me almost every day and also put me in a fucking HOSPITAL!” Irene slammed the back of her flamethrower into his face. His howl of pain was cut off as she slammed it into his face repeatedly, her eyes glowing with rage. Malakai watched silently as she beat Niall.

Her breathing cane out shaky after a while, he could see her arms visibly trembling. He stepped over and grabbed her from behind, ignoring the oil tanks from her flamethrower on her back pressing against his chest. She fought against him.

“No. Fuck off! I need to do this!” She shouted, her voice shaking like the rest of her.

“You gotta stop, you’re gonna hurt yourself,” Malakai replied, refusing to let her go. She kept fighting for several seconds before she abruptly stopped. He slowly released her and turned to face her directly. She lowered her head and he heard her suck in a breath. 

He hurriedly pulled the flamethrower out of her hands and pulled off the tanks on her back, setting them down next to her. She grabbed him in a tight hug and buried her head in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her start to tremble.

“I-I-I hate him. I fucking hate him.” She choked out. He wasn’t even sure if she was talking about Niall or Lloyd or both at this point. He nodded, running his fingers through her hair soothingly.

“I know, I know...do you have your gun on you?” He pulled away and looked at her. She shook her head, wiping her eyes.

“Okay...want me to…?” She nodded and he pulled out his gun. He hugged her again and raised his gun at Niall. Bang! He didn’t turn away from Irene as he fired, hearing his bullet hit flesh.

“Thank you…” She mumbled as he began leading her out of the building.

“No problem…” He paused as he saw Quantum’s armored truck roll-up. Seeing Lloyd is the last thing she needs right now.

“Did Lloyd really…” She shook her head as he spoke.

“I...I’ll talk to you guys about it later. Just not now.” She said softly. He took a deep breath and nodded.

“Stay here a second, alright?” He said gently to her. She nodded slowly, wiping her eyes again.

He opened the doors to the van and stepped inside quickly.

“Astoria, you or Olie has to take Irene home,” Malakai said shortly as he stepped in.

“...why?” Astoria asked.

“Her father’s dead, a lot happened, uh…” He shook his head and blinked.

“Look, someone’s gotta take her home, your bike is here, rest of us went on foot. I...she shouldn’t be around Lloyd right now, even if he’s knocked out. I don’t care who drives her home, she just should go home and get some rest...” He rubbed his face. Astoria hesitantly nodded her head.

“Alright...I’ll take her home and get her to sleep. Should I tell her about Lloyd being in here or…?”

“Depends on how she feels when she gets home. Take as much time as you need, I don’t care how long you take, just make sure she’s okay. We'll wait for you."

Astoria nodded and stood up, dropping Olie’s hand as she went. She walked off the ramp and disappeared around the side.

“Kai...what happened?” Olie asked as he folded in the ramp and shut the door.

“I’ll tell you on the way to the garage.” He sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back hesitantly, nodding against his chest.

“...I’ll take Lloyd to the garage, I’m dropping you two home though,” Riot spoke from the front seat.

“No, we have t-“

“Malakai. I’m not fuckin' around. You two are going home and resting, same for Irene and Astoria you were just in a shootout that lasted an hour and a half for fucks sake!” Riot snapped. Malakai stared at him, silent out of pure shock. Riot rarely cursed or raised his voice.

“I...yeah. Okay, you’re right.” He pulled Olie closer to himself, holding her tightly. Riot turned back to the road, his gaze tense. Malakai glanced at Lloyd’s body and shut his eyes. Revenge would have to wait.


	16. Chapter XVI: Astoria

_Astoria carefully pulled her bike into the driveway, kicking her kickstand and pulling her helmet off._ She reached back with one arm to hold Irene in place as she slid off her motorcycle. She pulled off Irene’s helmet and her head lolled to the side, her beautiful eyes closed.

Astoria picked up Irene bridal style and walked up the steps. She adjusted her grip on Irene and opened the door, surprised to find it unlocked. She stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind her. The lights were on despite it being late at night.

 _Odd…_ She made her way up the stairs and glanced around before stepping into Malakai’s room. She set Irene down and her cerulean eyes opened, blearily staring at Astoria.

“Hey…” Astoria said softly, sitting down next to her.

“Morning…” Irene mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“It’s not morning, it’s uh...” Astoria pulled out her phone to check the time. “2 AM…”

Irene sat up. “...technically morning, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She smiled tiredly.

Astoria snorted. “True...you should go back to sleep, we have stuff to do in the morning.”

Irene shrugged. “What are we doin’ in the morning...?” She stretched.

Astoria didn’t get the chance to respond as Olie walked into the room, looking half-asleep.

“Where’s Kai?” Astoria asked as she flopped down next to Irene.

“His mom was doing coke right in front of Alexandrite, he’s yelling at her right now.” As she spoke Alejandra stumbled past, being herded by Malakai, who had a crying Alexandrite in his arms.

“-can’t fuckin’ believe you would do that shit in the first place, let alone in front of her!”

“She’s a baby, she won’t understand, ya dumbass.” Alejandra sneered.

“You still think it’s good to be high off your fuckin’ ass when you’re the only one around to take care of her!?” He raised his voice. He glanced into his room and walked into it quickly, depositing Alexandrite in Astoria’s arms.

“Nothing’s gonna happen to her, I’m help enough to high her incase anything needs she.” Alejandra poked her head into the room, tumbling into the door frame. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Astoria, Irene, and Olie. Blood dripped down her nose onto the red carpet.

“Hey what are they doing in your room...?” She asked, her eyes darting between the three rapidly.

“Nothing. Don’ worry about it.” Malakai said quickly as he went back to her.

“You’re planning to kill me with them, aren’t you? Y-you want me gone, your own mother.” She grabbed Malakai’s jacket when he stopped in front of her. He jerked out of her grip.

“No, ma.” He snapped, setting his hands on her shoulders to steer her to her room.

“Bullshit!” She gripped the doorframe, her bloodshot eyes wide.

“Especially her, she tried to kill me Malakai, you shoulda seen her…” Alejandra pointed at Irene. Irene sighed and flipped her off.

“Ya deserved it, ‘m sure. Now _let’s go._ ” Malakai tugged her away from the door and the two disappeared.

“That woman’s insane.”

“Probably all the drugs in her.”

“I mean, she acts that crazy when she’s _not_ on drugs so that’s kind of debatable…”

Astoria snorted at Irene and Olie’s comments and turned to Alexandrite, who had stopped crying and was staring up at her with wide yellow eyes.

She smiled at the baby and offered her a finger. Alexandrite grabbed onto it with her tiny hand and pulled Astoria’s hand closer. Malakai walked into the room, one hand holding his phone up to his ear.

“No. Bullshit. Tell them to go suck a fat- _what!?”_ He paused mid-step, his gaze darkening even further. “No. I don’t care _what_ my mother said. We ain’t selling them shit until we're sure it works right…” He leaned his phone between his head and his shoulder and took Alexandrite from Astoria’s arms.

“No. Don’t you try to argue with me, Will, you’re already in deep shit for tonight.” Malakai started walking out of the room. “I’ll deal with you after I…” His voice faded as he walked out of the room. Astoria stared after him and slowly stood up.

“Hey, uh. You two should get some sleep, I’m gonna go grab Kai and get him to cool off, I’ll bring him back here.” Astoria walked out of the room before either of them could respond.

She looked over the banister and saw Malakai disappearing into the living room. Astoria ran down the steps and walked after him. When she entered the room, he was shoving his phone into his pocket, Alexandrite carefully draped over his shoulder.

“Idiot...I swear…” He mumbled to himself, sitting down on the couch. He laid down and held up Alexandrite in the air, smiling at her.

“Noooo.” She squirmed around in his arms and he set her down on his chest, wrapping an arm around her carefully.

“Shh, go to sleep…” He said softly, gently brushing his hand over her head. She reached up and slapped a hand on his cheek before resting her head on him.

Astoria watched quietly for a few minutes, a small smile crossing her face.

“You gonna come over here or you just gonna watch all night?” Malakai spoke suddenly, making her almost jump out of her skin.

“Oh! Uh, yeah…” She walked over to him and leaned on the arm of the couch.

“Irene and Olie asleep?” Malakai asked her, letting his hand drop to the side as Alexandrite's eyes shut.   
  
“Not yet, I don’t think,” Astoria said quietly. He nodded and stood up slowly, carefully holding his little sister.

“I’m gonna put her to bed, you going to sleep?” He started walking out of the room. Astoria followed him as he went up the stairs.

“Nope.”

He nodded and disappeared into Alexandrite’s room briefly. Astoria glanced into Malakai’s room and saw Irene passed out, her arms wrapped around Olie, who was laying on her and sleepily messing with her hair. She smiled and watched as Olie’s hand slowed to a halt as she fell asleep.

“That’s fucking cute.” Astoria jumped as Malakai suddenly appeared next to her, his yellow-brown eyes soft.

“Oh my g- _why are you so quiet?_ ” She hissed, hitting his chest. He snorted and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers.

“Why are you so _tall?_ ”

“What does that have to do with an-“ Malakai suddenly leaned up and pressed his lips against hers, effectively shutting her up. She kissed him back for a bit until he slowly pulled away.

He smirked at her slightly dazed expression, his breathing slightly heavy. He held her gaze for a moment before walking past her to the stairs.

“W-where are you going?” She tightened her grip on his hand to halt him.

“Downstairs to the couch, I don’t wanna accidentally wake those two up.” He jerked his head towards his bedroom.

Astoria nodded and walked after him.

“You’re a good kisser.” He commented as he walked down the stairs.

“Thanks you’re...pretty good yourself.” Astoria replied, staring down at the floor.

He smiled and walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

Astoria sat next to him and the two sat in comfortable silence until Malakai’s phone buzzing shattered the quiet. His expression hardened and he jerked his phone out of his pocket.

He glared at his phone and Astoria could see him contemplating whether to answer it or not. She looked him over and suddenly saw how exhausted and stressed he looked. She plucked his phone from his grip and tossed it onto the carpet. He stared after his phone and blinked, looking confused.

“Wh-“

Astoria shoved him so he was laying on the couch. “You need to sleep.”

“It’s not that late.” He tried you sit up and she set her hands on his shoulders.

“It’s almost 4 AM according to your phone and it’s been a long day. We had a shootout and kidnapped an asshole, remember?” She pushed on his shoulders until he laid down again.

“Yeah but that call could’ve been impo-“

“It’ll be fine, you’re not gonna be in the right mind to deal with whatever it is anyway.” She argued. He stared at her for several moments before letting out a sigh. She felt him relax under her hands and smiled proudly.

“Fine. You’re sleeping with me though.” He sat up and grabbed her around the waist before pulling her down on the couch with him. She let out a small noise of surprise before relaxing against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand resting between her shoulder blades and the other on her mid-back.

“G’night Ast…” He mumbled. She slid her hands onto his shoulders and shut her eyes slowly.

“Goodnight Kai…”

_Brrrt._

_Brrt._

_Brrrrt._

“Fuck, dammit…” Astoria raised her head at the buzzing noise and looked at the floor. Malakai’s phone was going off again. He raised his head and shifted under her, reaching over to grab it. He squinted at it for a few seconds before hitting the green button.

“What? This better be important it’s early as shit…” He grumbled, leaning back against the couch again. Astoria tiredly set her head on his chest again and shut her eyes.

“Kai, it’s 1 PM, what are you talking about?” Quantum’s voice drifted to her ears and she briefly raised her head, eyes opening.

“Hey Quantum.” She raised her voice slightly so he could hear her.

“Hello Astoria...look, Kai. When are you coming over to the garage? We still got Lloyd down here and me, Mikau, and Riot can’t stay down here forever even if we divide our time.”

Malakai let out a long breath, throwing his head back. “Gimme an hour and I’ll be down, I’ll bring Astoria, Olie, and Irene too…”

“Alright..see you then Kai.”

“Yeah, later.” Malakai hung up the phone and dropped it on the carpet.

Astoria peered at the phone.

“You could’ve put it in your pocket.” She commented.

“Then I would’ve had to either move awkwardly under you or move you entirely. Didn’t feel like doing either.” He gave her a lazy smile. She snorted and sat up.

“You gotta get up though, we gotta go beat Lloyd’s ass.” She said, getting off him and standing up. He sat up quickly and stood up.

“Okay yeah, you’re right.” He grabbed his phone off the floor again and pocketed it. “You think Irene and Olie are awake?”

He asked as he started walking out of the room. She followed him out of the room and up the stairs.

“Possibly, it’s really late…” She trailed off as they stopped in front of Malakai’s room. They both looked inside and Irene’s head shot up. Olie had rolled off Irene in her sleep and was laying on Irene’s arm.

“Guys, help I can’t fucking feel my arm.” She hissed at them, glancing between Astoria, Olie, and Malakai.

Astoria turned to Malakai and the two started laughing, trying to keep quiet as to not wake up Olie.

Irene glared at them. “It’s not funny!” Olie twitched in her sleep and Irene winced. Malakai walked over after composing himself and squatted next to the bed.

“Ol...Olie…” He poked her and she curled away from his finger, moving closer to Irene.

“Olie get up, we have to go beat Lloyd into a sad blood pulp-“

Olie snapped awake and sat up. “I’m up! I’m up! Let’s go!” She hopped off the bed and Irene let out a groan of relief. Malakai snorted and walked out of the room.

“I gotta talk to my mom about an idea I had.” He called behind him before disappearing around the door frame. Astoria leaned against said door frame and jumped as Olie suddenly charged towards her, slamming into her and wrapping her arms around the taller girl.

Astoria returned the hug, smiling happily. Irene stood up off the bed and walked over, rolling her arm. “I’d join the hug but I still can’t feel my arm.” She mumbled.

Olie stepped back from the hug and grabbed Irene’s numb arm before yanking her into the hug, causing Irene to let out a small yelp. Astoria let out a laugh and wrapped her arms around both of them.

“Y’know...this is a nice way to wake up every morning…” She mumbled.

“Yeah. Too bad it’s gonna be ruined when we go turn Lloyd into a mess of flesh.” Olie commented.

Silence greeted her words for a few seconds.

“...way to kill the moment Olie.”


	17. Chapter XVII: Irene

_Irene was silent as she sat in the passenger seat_ of Alejandra’s car. The navy blue Lamborghini was completely clean, not a spec of dirt to be found on the black leather seats. She hated it. At any other time, she would’ve been in awe at the expensive car. Right now, it was filling her with dread as Malakai drove to the car’s destination.

“You okay…?” He dropped a hand off the steering wheel and grabbed her hand, glancing out of the window as Astoria’s motorcycle shot past. Olie waved to them cheerfully and Irene could swear she heard Astoria yelling at her to put her arm back around her before she fell off.

She smiled a little before looking down at her and Malakai’s joined hands, his tan skin contrasting sharply against her own pale complexion.

“You should really keep both hands on the steering wheel…” She mumbled, brushing her thumb over his knuckles and making no attempt to pull away despite her words.

“Fuck no, I’d much rather hold your hand.” He snorted, shooting her a lazy smile.

“As much as I love holding your hand I’d rather not die and never be able to hold it again.” She replied, raising her head to look at him. He met her gaze briefly and sighed before releasing her hand.

“Fine fine…what’s wrong though?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know...I just feel kinda weird, I guess? I...I ‘dated’ this guy for over a year and now we’re going to go beat the hell out of him and...my dad...he’s dead. And I wanted it to happen, I really did but...he’s still my father even though he’s done so much shit to me.” Irene blurted out, staring at Malakai to see his reaction.

He nodded slowly, eyes set carefully on the road. “I...I do know how you feel, about your dad, at least. My father...he was so abusive, just like my mother. You’ve seen how bad it was…” Malakai stopped the car as they got to the garage and slowly lowered his hands to his lap.

“My father...he never laid a hand on me, I don’t think I can call him abusive…” Irene replied. Malakai reached over and grabbed her hand and she turned to look him in the eyes.

“Sometimes you don’t need to touch someone to abuse them.” He said softly.

Her mouth opened slightly and she nodded. “I...yeah, y-you’re right.” She turned to look at the garage and saw Olie and Astoria waiting near the entrance, eyeing her and Malakai through the window.

“Before we go in to wherever Lloyd is...can I just...talk…? About...me and him, the things he did…” Irene asked, avoiding everyone’s gaze and instead staring down at her lap.

“Of course.” Malakai unlocked the doors and stepped out of the car. She unbuckled her seatbelt and followed him. She looked up at the garage and took a deep breath. It looked so plain on the outside it was amazing it was all a front.

Malakai walked towards the alley and grabbed Olie’s hand on the way, pulling her with him. She let out a little squeak and stumbled, her blue eyes widening in surprise.

“Kai! Warn me next time!” She yelled.

“Aw c’mon Ol, it’s not like I’m gonna let you fall or nothin’...” Their voices faded as they rounded the alley and disappeared.

“Irene…?” Astoria’s voice made her jump and she looked away from the garage. Astoria stepped over to her, concern clear on her face.

“Are you okay?” She asked. Irene nodded.

“Yeah...just…” She fell silent and shook her head. “I’ll tell you all when we get inside.”

Astoria nodded. “Let’s go then.” She gestured to the alley and Irene started walking down it. She turned the corner and stepped into the open door on the side of the garage.

It looked innocent enough, an old car was raised up on bricks, tools lined the walls, and there were wheels scattered in the corner.

“So where’s the secret murder room?” Astoria asked as she entered the dimly lit room and shut the door behind herself.

“Downstairs.” Malakai walked out from behind the car. Olie appeared behind him and poked the old car.

“Before we go down there, Irene, you said you wanted to talk about Lloyd…?” Malakai leaned on the car. Astoria walked over and stood with Olie and Malakai. Irene fidgeted under their stares.

“Can we like...sit on the floor or something? This feels like I’m on trial.”

“I’ll grab chairs, gimme a second.” Malakai pushed himself off the car and walked over to the wooden desk in the corner. He opened the solid wood door behind it and disappeared. Metal scraping sounds came from the room and he reappeared, balancing four stacked chairs on one arm.

“Showoff.” Astoria teased him. Malakai rolled his eyes and set down the chairs before unstacking them into a makeshift circle.

Irene sat down in one of the chairs and stared at the cracked concrete floor. The three stayed silent, occasionally shifting in their chairs as they waited for her to speak. She searched for words to start off but couldn’t find any.

“Maybe...you should start from the beginning…?” Olie spoke up, scuffing her shoe against the ground. Irene exhaled out of her nose and nodded.

“Right...Lloyd and I started dating...well, ‘dating’. I never considered him my boyfriend or anything.” She corrected herself, putting air quotes around the word. “Two years ago. My dad thought he’d be good for me, he wanted me to have a nice boyfriend so...he set me up with his right-hand man's son. Lloyd’s always had a thing for me, I know that. I just didn’t like him like that though, he was okay, nothing special but nothing too awful...in the beginning at least.”

Irene raised her head briefly and fiddled with the bottom of her jacket. “Lloyd’s always had a temper, he would lose his shit over the smallest thing if he was in a bad enough mood. When we were together he’d be possessive as hell and get jealous so easy. I shrugged it off as normal boyfriend shit but…” She bit her lip and looked down again.

“I looked at someone for a second too long one time when we were at dinner. We had been dating for a year and by now I was used to his jealous outbursts but...I never thought he’d go as far as to hit me. My dad saw the bruise and didn’t say much after I told him Lloyd did it. I wanted to break things off with Lloyd but my father wouldn’t let me, he said it was good for the gang. Continuing the bloodline one day and all that...didn’t matter that one time…” She paused and froze up.

“Irene…?” Olie spike up next to her. Astoria reached for her on Irene’s opposite side and she instinctively jerked away, jumping to her feet.

“I-I’m sorry, I need a minute...I’ll...I’ll be right back.” She forced herself to ignore Astoria’s slightly hurt look and speed-walked to the door. She opened it and shut it behind her, leaning her back against the cool metal.

 _Calm down...he can’t hurt you. He’s tied up downstairs, Quantum or Riot or Mikau is watching him…_ Irene rubbed her eyes and shook herself, steeling her nerves.

_I’m with people who love me and I love them back, more than anyone. They wouldn’t hurt me like he did. Ever._

She put her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. _I can talk about it._

_He doesn’t get to have any effect on me._

_I survived. That’s all that matters. I’m gonna let it go._

Irene twisted the knob and opened the door. She shut it behind her and walked back over to her seat. Her eyes trailed over the three pairs of eyes staring at her with concern and smiled, surprised at how genuine the gesture felt despite what she was going to say next.

“I’m fine. Just...needed fresh air...” She sat down and set her hands on her lap. “So…” She reached and grabbed Astoria’s hand, shooting her a quick smile that was quickly returned.

“One time we were kissing and...he started escalating it. I don’t want to go into detail but...I stopped him, I never wanted to go remotely as far as he wanted to, at least, not with him. He got so upset and just...blew up. He was yelling and saying all this shit and then...he slapped me, I hit back and it all went downhill from there. We got into a huge fight. He won and I ended up in the hospital...My dad still didn’t do anything after that and Lloyd pretty much hit me on a regular basis...I was in hell…” She shut her eyes briefly and looked up, meeting Malakai’s blazing yellow-brown gaze.

“And then you came along.” She said quietly. He looked surprised, the rage in his eyes fading. Irene looked around at the three of them. “I’m leaving out a lot of shit like all the things he threatened me with and how he manipulated me but...I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I’ll talk about it some more at another time.” She started standing up. Olie lunged and grabbed her in a hug, Astoria and Malakai were quick to join the hug.

“I can’t wait to kick his ass for everything he’s done to you…” She heard Astoria mumble.

“Me too...are you gonna come with us Irene?” Malakai asked. She pulled away from the hug and nodded slowly.

“I...yeah. I really don’t know why I’m being so weird about this...I used to be around him all the time and this time he’s restrained and I know you guys won’t let him do anything. Maybe it’s finally catching up to me now that I’ve been away from him.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“You don’t have to face him if you don’t want to.” Olie piped up.

Irene thought about it for a moment. She could walk out right now and never have to see Lloyd again. She knew he wasn’t walking out of here alive. It’d be much easier than having to see his face and have all these emotions and memories flood her mind.

But...on the other hand that felt like letting him win, letting him have power over her. She didn’t want anyone to have such power over her. People like Lloyd didn’t deserve any kind of power.

“No. I can do this. Kai, lead the way.” She looked ahead determinedly. "And...thank you all...for everything."  
  
Astoria grabbed her in a side hug and Olie grabbed onto Irene's arm. Malakai looked at her for a few seconds before nodding, a smile crossing his face. He walked over to the wooden desk and opened a drawer. He messed around in the drawer for a few seconds and a loud mechanical noise cane from the room next to his desk.

He waved them after him and walked into the room. “Nothin’ fancy, just a hole under these boxes…” His voice trailed out.

Irene slowly broke away from Olie and Astoria's embrace and walked to the room, being sure to keep close to them. The room looked like a large storage closet, with boxes and random junk all over the place. Malakai shoved a large box out of the way and gestures to a square hole in the floor with a ladder in it.

“Ladies first.” He gestured to the ladder. Olie walked over and looked down the hole for a few seconds before climbing down. Astoria followed after her.

“Irene?” Malakai gave her a concerned look. She strode over and looked down the hole, wondering if this would be her last chance to back out.

“You go first, I’ll be right behind you.” She spoke finally after several beats of silence. Malakai nodded slowly and began descending the ladder. Irene sunk her teeth into her lip before taking a deep breath and following after him.

“This place...is kinda creepy.” Olie murmured, looking around the tiny brick room the four of them were now crowded in. A single lightbulb hung from the ceiling.

“It’s meant to be, don’t exactly want any captives feeling cozy an’ safe…” Malakai said darkly, walking down the narrow hallway in front of them. Irene slowly walked after him, watching as the hallway ended and gave way to a large room. A metal door stood on the right of the room with a touch sensor next to it.

“He’s in there.” Malakai walked up to the door and raised his hand over the sensor. He gave her one last look. She nodded firmly and Malakai pressed his hand against the sensor. A ding noise quickly sounded followed by the sound of a lock being unlocked.

 _Here we go._ Malakai stepped back from the door and gestured to the handle. _I can do this._

She grabbed the handle and swung the door open without another thought. 


	18. Chapter XVIII: Olie

_ The silence amazed Olie. She expected yelling, shuffling, any noise at all when Irene swung the door open. Instead,  _ pure silence greeted the four. 

Malakai stared into the dark room for a second before reaching inside and flicking the light on. The room was completely empty save for a chair. A pair of handcuffs were discarded next to it and there were blood splatters on the wall.

“Fuck. Fuck. Oh god, where the fuck-“ Malakai ripped his phone out of his pocket and tapped on it rapidly. He pulled his phone up to his ear while mumbling rapidly under his breath.

Irene walked into the room and looked around, swallowing audibly.

“ _ I’m sorry, the person you are trying to reach is not avai-“  _ Olie lunged and grabbed Malakai’s arm as he made to smash his phone against the floor. Olie pulled the phone out of his hand 

“Kai! Calm down! What is going on?” Astoria ran over to the two, her eyes darting back and forth between Malakai, Olie, and Irene.

“He’s not fucking  _ here!  _ Where the fuck is Quantum they’re both not-fuck!” He broke free from Olie’s grasp and darted down one of the hallways. 

“Irene! Come on!” Olie called into the room and rushed after him. Malakai was already throwing open a door and disappearing inside. Olie entered the room soon after and slammed to a halt.

“Woah.” The wall to Olie’s left was covered in TV’s displaying various rooms and hallways. One of them showed Astoria and Irene jogging down the hall and entering the room. 

“Fuck…” Malakai’s eyes darted around the TV’s. “No ones here they’re fucking gone and...god Lloyd must’ve...that probably was Quantum’s blood. He would’ve bandaged Lloyd’s leg so he didn’t bleed out all over the fuckin’ place, shit…” He walked out of the room.

“Come on, we gotta go look for ‘im.” He ran his fingers through his hair, looking anxious. Olie left the room and Astoria and Irene filed out after her. Malakai slammed the door shut and walked down the hall again.

“If he hurt Quantum he’s even more fucked than he was already gonna be.” Astoria spoke up as they entered the room with the ladder.

“I’ll rip his fuckin’ teeth out one by one…” Malakai muttered darkly, quickly making his way up the ladder. Irene climbed after him, her gaze grim. Astoria gestured to the ladder and Olie followed after Irene.

“Mom...mom, Lloyd has Quantum, the plan got fucked up. We don’t know where he is.” Olie winced as she pulled herself off the ladder and stood next to Malakai and Irene.

“He’s fucked. They found out about Niall and they’re fuckin’ furious. God, I don’t know what you were thinkin’ lettin’ yer crazy ass girlfriend kill him! They want every single Fedeltá members blood now and rightfully so. That was their  _ leader.” _

“Yeah well, we didn’t do a lotta shit when dad died, now did we?” Malakai snapped back, storming out of the room. Olie exchanged looks with Irene and Astoria before scrambling after him as he headed towards the garage exit.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ fuckin’ throw that in my face! You know how fuckin’ busy I was with your fuckin’ sister. I had her to worry about and you were too soft to do shit! Now we have a fuckin’ war on our hands and it’s all your damn fault. Get your ass home right now.” Alejandra returned, fire in her voice. Malakai ripped the metal door to the garage open.

“No. I need to find Quantum.” He jerked his head out of the door and leaned against it, staring expectantly at them.

Olie quickly strode past him, straining to hear Alejandra’s voice. “Are yo-fuck Quantum! He was too pathetic to defend himself from Lloyd’s stupid ass, he had it comin’ to him! He des-“

“ _ Shut the fuck up.”  _ Malakai’s voice went dangerously quiet, making Irene pause a foot out of the entryway. Malakai stepped out after her and slammed the door so hard Olie wonderednif it was dented.

“Don’t you  _ ever _ tell me what to do ever again do you hear me? Don’t you ever fuckin’ do it again.” Alejandra’s voice met his, sounding equally as furious. Malakai turned away and started walking down the alley.

“Then don’t fuckin’ talk about Quantum like that!” He suddenly exploded. “I’m so god damn sick of your shit! I can’t fuckin’ take the way you-“ He went to his mothers car and ripped open the door, quickly sitting in it and slamming the door. 

Olie stared after him, leaning against the wall of the alley. “I...I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so angry.” She said quietly.

“Really? He’s known for his temper and I’m sure you’ve seen him get pissed.” Irene said, appearing next to her. 

“That’s different...I always heard about his temper, of course. I’ve seen him get pissed I just...never realized he could get as mad as they say. I just thought it was stories and shit, he really does look like he’s gonna snap and just...beat someone into a bloody pulp.” Olie kept her gaze trained on Alejandra’s car. She couldn’t see or hear Malakai through the tinted windows.

“...are you scared of him?” Irene turned to her and gave her a questioning look. Astoria’s eyebrows raised and she gave Olie the same look.

“No. No…I...he’d ever hurt us I just...wouldn’t want to be the person he’s mad at, I don’t think it’d end well if Alejandra was here right now.” 

Irene nodded slowly and turned to look at the car. “Nothing sets him off like his parents…”

Astoria sighed. “They’re assholes, they always say and do the wrong thing, it’s like they’re  _ trying _ to piss people off.” 

Olie hummed. “I’m...I’m gonna go check on him.” She went up to his car and grabbed the handle of the Lamborghini, slightly surprised to find it unlocked. 

“Hey...Kai, can I come in…?” She looked inside the car. Makakai nodded, his head was lowered and he stared at floor. Olie slid into the car and shut the door behind her. She looked at him for a few seconds before scooting to the edge of the seat to be closer to him.

“Are you okay…?” She asked softly. He took a deep, shuddering breath and raised his head to look at her. She almost winced at how hurt and defeated he looked. He looked broken. She had seen the look many times before, from herself and other people she cared about.

“Kai-“ He suddenly lunged forwards and grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap. She tensed up and sunk her teeth into her lip to stop a noise of surprise escaping her mouth.

Olie relaxed when he just wrapped his arms around her tightly and rested his head on her shoulder. She heard his shaky breath and felt him shaking against her and put an arm around him, the other going up to his hair.

“It’s gonna be okay Kai, screw whatever your mom thinks about Quantum, she’s an idiot. We’re gonna get him back, it’s all gonna be alright.” She said softly, running her fingers through his hair. 

“I-I know, you’re right…” He mumbled out, relaxing underneath her touch. “I’m just frustrated, y’know? I’ve been going through this for...almost twenty-two years, I’ve known Quantum since I was a baby. I grew up with him, my mom  _ knows  _ him and everything he’s been through and she still doesn’t care about him. I hate her so damn much...she’s awful. How does someone just...not care about anyone?” He pulled away slightly and looked down.

“Some people just don’t have it in them to care about other people. I don’t think that kind of person is really...human, I guess.” She replied. Malakai nodded and leaned back in the car seat. He rubbed his face and took a deep breath.

“Sorry for...losing my cool there.” He said quietly, lowering his hands from his face. “My mom sets me off quicker than any other person...well, except my dad.” 

“I know, Irene told me and I’ve seen it myself...I’ve even experienced it myself, your mom really knows how to piss people off.” 

“Yeah, it’s a talent of hers.” Malakai half smiled at her and she snorted. She pulled her hand away from his long hair and shifted back on his lap now that he was okay. He looked at her for a few seconds and reached up to rub the back of his neck.

“Uh...do you mind if I kiss you?” He blurted out. She was mildly surprised by the question and she looked away for a few seconds before meeting his gaze.

“No...you can.” She said finally. He nodded and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. She simply sat there, unsure of what to do. He pulled away after a moment and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into another hug. She hugged him back and the two sat in silence for a few moments. 

“Let’s head back to my house. It’s not safe for us to be out in the open like this with the Banda’s after our asses.” Malakai finally spoke, opening the door next to him. Olie nodded and pulled away from the hug. She slid off his lap and stepped onto the pavement. 

“You want me to call Irene?” She asked him. He nodded and she shut the door behind her. 

Olie walked onto the sidewalk. Astoria was leaning against her motorcycle and Irene was leaning against the brick wall of the alley across from her.  _ They’re not even trying and they somehow look badass...damn that’s not fair. _

She shook her head. “Hey Irene, Kai wants you. We’re headed back to his place, he doesn’t want us hanging around out here.” 

“Fair enough, Lloyd’s a crazy asshole…” Irene stretched her arms and walked over to Alejandra’s car.

“You ready to go Olie?” Astoria handed her the motorcycle helmet as she approached and she nodded, glancing back at the car distractedly. 

“Yeah…”

“You okay? Everything good with you and Kai…? You two were in there for a bit.” Astoria asked, pausing as she went to put her own helmet on.

“No no, everything’s fine between me and him...but everything’s not  _ okay _ , you know what I mean?” Olie put her helmet on, turning back to Astoria.

She nodded. “Yeah...god I hope Quantum’s okay. Those Banda’s are bigger pricks than I remember…” She put her helmet on and got on her bike as Alejandra’s car roared to life behind them. 

“You’ve worked with them before?” Olie asked, climbing on behind her.

“Yeah, not Irene or her dad or Lloyd though. Just lower people for deals and stuff, nothing major.” Astoria kicked her kick stand and revved the handles on her motorcycle before shooting off after Malakai as he drove past.

“Why didn’t you meet with Irene’s dad? You were both gang leaders.” Olie wrapped her arms tightly around Astoria’s waist.

“No reason to. Me and Dara squatted in Los Angeles, Niall and Irene were in New York. I wasn’t traveling across the country unless there was a serious problem between our gangs.” She responded, her tone shifting as she mentioned her twin brothers name.

“And Dara wouldn’t either?”

“My brother’s a lazy prick, he didn’t do anything unless he absolutely had to. I did most of the work back when I led the Ultios with him. Part of the reason I left.”

Astoria grunted. Olie tightened her arms around her, knowing she didn’t like talking about her brother.

The two sat in a slightly tense silence until they pulled up to the familiar mansion they all resided in. 

“Ah, fuck…” She heard Malakai say as he stepped out of his mother’s car, staring at a dreadfully familiar dark green jeep. 

“Can I just…” Olie jumped as a stream of fire sparked from Irene’s lighter as she walked towards the jeep **.**

**“** No, no Irene.” Olie pulled her helmet off and set it on Astoria’s bike before running over and grabbing Irene’s arm. Irene sighed, looking currently disappointed and killed the fire before putting her lighter away.

“That’s too messy, it might explode.” She reasoned with her. Irene thought for a moment before nodding

“You’re right…”

“Of course I am…” One of the two doors to the mansion burst open and Alex strode out, a blunt between her fingers.

“What upppp!?” She yelled down. Malakai stared at her for several seconds.

“My house is gonna smell like weed.” He mumbled out, looking horrified at the thought.

“I’m gonna kick her ass.” He slammed the door to his car shut and charged towards the stairs.

“Fuck, Kai! No! You’re gonna get blood on the carpet and then your moms gonna be yelling and I can’t deal with that right now! Kick her ass somewhere else!” 


	19. Chapter XIX: Malakai

_“What do you want, Lloyd?” Malakai crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at_ the man in front of him. It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at things.

He had slipped out of the house a few hours after disappointingly not being allowed to attack Alex and her father. A simple text from the man in front of him had appeared on his phone when he was laying in bed, restless. He decided to respond to the request to meet, despite his better judgment.

Lloyd tossed his knife casually in the air. “I think you know what I want, Malakai.” He said cooly.

“No. I don’t. So just tell me so we can both move on with our lives.” He snapped back. Malakai struggled to keep his cool, every time he looked at the man he was reminded of the awful things he’d done to the people he lo- _cared_ about.

Lloyd paused and turned to meet his gaze. “Let me put it this way. I have something or rather...some _one_ , you want back.” He paused as Malakai took a small step forward, quickly realizing he was talking about Quantum.

“Well...I need a little something in return, a little _compensation_. That little something just so happens to be Ire-“

“No.”

Lloyd’s gaze darkened and he gave a dark grin. “Wow, not one for bros before hoes, ay?”

“Shut up, she ain’t a hoe.” Malakai took another step forward, his fists clenching.

Lloyd stepped forward to meet him and soon enough the two were chest to chest. Malakai stared up at him, every muscle tensed.

“Sure sounds like one to me. She cheated on me with you, and she’s also with your other two bitches-“ _Crack!_

Malakai’s fist slammed into his jaw. Lloyd’s hand had shot up to defend himself, the knife in his hand grazing the back of Malakai’s hand. Lloyd cursed repeatedly and spat out a tooth. “You fucker…”

Malakai grabbed him by the shirt, ignoring his bleeding hand and shoved him against a dumpster in the alley.

“You’re fuckin’ lucky you have Quantum because if you didn’t I would beat ya to death right here. I don’ got much to lose anymore, our gangs are already at war. Another one of you fuckers dead doesn’t mean shit to me. You call your band of cunts over here with him and I won’t end your life in the slowest, most painful way possible. Understand?” Malakai grabbed his head and shoved it against the metal for emphasis.

“Fuck y-“ _Thump!_ Lloyd’s head slammed against the metal. Malakai dragged him away from the dumpster and threw him to the ground before drawing his gun. He flicked off the safety and aimed it at Lloyd’s chest as he rolled over.

“Call. Them. And toss the knife.”

Lloyd glared up at him before tossing his knife and raising his hands in the air. “I’m just gonna grab my phone, ‘kay?” Malakai nodded, his eyes carefully tracking Lloyd’s every move.

He didn’t relax the slightest until the call was made. “What’d you do to Quantum?” Malakai asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket, still keeping the gun trained on Lloyd.

“Psh, we didn’t do shit. The guy was already terrified. That was enough, y’know the guy really…” Malakai tuned him out, knowing he was lying as he looked through the texts from his girlfriends.

**Irene**

**3:44 AM**

**Kai, where the hell are you?**

**Olie**

**3:45**

**Kai this isn’t funny it’s way too late for a game of hide and seek where the fuck are you**

**Astoria**

**3:45**

**When you come back I’m giving you a right rumble for making us worry.**

**“**...I mean shit, I know you guys have awful gang members but this is just patheti- why the fuck are you smiling?” Lloyd’s voice cut into the texts. Malakai pocketed his phone and steeled his expression, the small smile tugging on his lip disappearing.

 _Probably should’ve said something to them before accepting an invite at three AM from a man who’s tried to kill me several times. Whoops._ Malakai pocketed his phone and steeled his expression. He turned his attention to Lloyd, who was giving him a disturbed look.

“None of your business. Now cut the shit. What’d you do to Quantum?” Malakai rolled his shoulders and adjusted his grip on the gun.

“...nothi-“ _Bang!_ “FUCK!”

Malakai watched as the bullet bounced across the alley before looking at Lloyd as he gripped the side of his head where the bullet grazed.

“Still think I’m fuckin’ around? I’ll ask again. _What. Did you. Do. To Quantum?”_ Malakai spat out.

“...” Lloyd stared at him for several seconds, gaze defiant. “...he ain’t gonna walk again.”

“ _What!?”_

“I didn’t do shit. He’s not paralyzed, his legs are just...very, very broken. And partially gone. But it’s cool, it’s just from above the knee down. He’s still got his thighs!” Lloyd shrugged.

Malakai’s breathing picked up and his hand trembled on his gun. “...was...he awake for all of it?” He asked, barely keeping his voice steady.

“Man, I don’t fuckin’ know, you think I asked questions? I just told them to fuck him up a bit, I didn’t think they were gonna do _that._ I guess they wanted to leave a reminder no one will forget. _”_ Lloyd shrugged his shoulders.

Malakai slowly raised his shirt and put his gun into the waistband of his jeans as he fought to comprehend what Lloyd had just said. _How...what did they even…_ His eyes locked on Lloyd and he made his way towards him.

“How’d you escape?” He asked him.

“You idiots didn’t pat me down. I always got shit for lock picking in my pockets. You can get out of handcuffs easily if you know how.” Lloyd shrugged. “Can I get up now?”

Malakai gestured for him to stand up. Lloyd got to his feet and Malakai jumped him as soon as he saw his hand twitch towards his pocket.

“Here’s how this is gonna work. Tell me where every weapon you have is and you don’t get hurt. If I find out you lie to me about not having a weapon, you’ll get beaten into a sad, bloody pulp. Aight?”

“Y’know, you seem to like shoving me against walls and shit. You sure you’re straight?” Lloyd sneered.

“Where’re the weapons?” Malakai responded, ignoring the comment.

“Gun is in my waistband, knife is in my pocket. Don’t feel me up or some shit when you get my gun, eh fag?”

Malakai yanked up his shirt and grabbed the gun before tossing it down the alley. He found the knife and threw it.

“Is that why you’re so worried about that Quantum guy? You cheating with him? Damn, you got low standards and shit control over yourself if you need to fuck four people to be satisfied-“ _Thud!_

Malakai shook his hand out, watching blood pour from Lloyd’s mouth. He coughed and spat out a tooth. “Y’know, most people wouldn’t run their mouths when they’re pinned against an alley wall.”

Lloyd suddenly lunged at him with blinding speed and Malakai stepped back, slipping on an object and crashing to the ground painfully. _Fuck._

He looked at the object as Lloyd lunged for it. His eyes widened when the faint moonlight reflected on the blade as Lloyd raised it into the air and swung down. Malakai raised his arm to block it and cringed as it ripped through the material of his leather jacket, ripping through his skin.

“Come on you _fucker!_ ” Lloyd swung again and Malakai scrambled back on all fours, blood dripping down his arm. He reached for his gun with his hand and Lloyd jumped on him, slashing at his arm, making him jerk back as he was cut.

He hissed and time seemed to slow down as Lloyd raised the blade high above his head and stabbed down, aiming at his chest. Malakai’s hand shot out and grabbed the blade, cringing as it slid across his hand, blood seeping out as Lloyd fought to lower the blade into his chest.

Malakai leaned back on one hand and kicked off the floor, kicking Lloyd in the chest as hard as he could with both feet. Lloyd stumbled back, releasing the blade and gripping his chest as he gasped soundlessly, unable to suck in air.

He quickly dropped the blade and gripped his wrist, watching as blood bubbled from the wound on his palm. He was suddenly painfully aware of the other slash on his opposite hand, still bleeding heavily. Lloyd started crawling towards his gun.

Malakai drew his own gun with his right hand and loaded it, gritting his teeth as the cut pressed against the top of the gun. One-handed _loading should fuckin’ be a thing…_ He clumsily fired at Lloyd’s arm and Lloyd let out a yell as the bullet hit its target.

He shoved his gun in the waistband of his jeans, hoping Lloyd would be occupied enough not to go for his gun again. He pulled his now ripped leather jacket off his body and picked up Lloyd’s knife.

He glanced at his arms and froze up. Hundreds of scars lined his arms, varying in size and severity. Most of them were raised and white, others had faded into his skin color, but were still visible due to the raising of his skin. Few of them were long and darker than his skin tone.

He shook his head. _Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it._ _  
_Malakai began slicing up his jacket wrapping it around the heavily bleeding slashes on both arms. Malakai glanced at the one on his right arm and nearly passed out at all the blood. Lloyd must’ve hit a vein.

He quickly covered that cut and the one on his hands and fumbled for his phone, his vision swam. He opened his contacts and hit one.

He lowered himself to his knees and slumped against the brick wall as the person on the other phone answered on the first ring.

“Malakai, I’m going to fucki-Kai, are you okay? Why are you breathing so hard?” Astoria’s voice sounded so far away and muffled. _Breathing hard…? What…?_ He mumbled something in response.

“Kai! Where are you?” Astoria’s voice sounded panicked.

“Alley...get Riot to...track my location...I don’t remember where…” The phone slipped from his trembling grasp and clattered to the ground. _Did I really lose that much blood…?_

He slumped to the floor and rested his cheek against the cool tar. He vaguely heard voices above him.

“...should we kill him? He ain’t dead yet…”

“Dumbass! I need to get this fuckin’ gunshot patched...just…”

 _When did people get here…?_ Malakai winced as he felt someone undoing the makeshift bandages he put on the cuts.

“...bleed out all over the place...the other one too...die tog…”

The voices faded and the world went black.

“Kai...Kai...get up...please…”

_Quantum…? I don’t want to get up...it’s too early for this shit…_

“Kai! Come on, I can’t walk to get help my legs they...Kai, please!” He felt someone grab his shoulders and shake him. His eyes snapped open and he instinctively smacked at the person’s face, immediately regretting it as pain shot through his hand.

“Ow!” Quantum yelped, rubbing his face. Malakai groggily looked around.

“You’ve lost a lot of blood, I’m surprised you’re even awake, heh…” Quantum said quietly. Malakai looked at him, his eyes locking on his legs.

“What...what did they do to you…?” His pants were cut raggedly at mid-thigh, his legs were...not there. There were many blood splatters on his clothes. Quantum’s eyes got a faraway look and Malakai noticed a massive slash on his forehead, above his right eye.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” His voice came out barely above a whisper.

“...Quantum I’m so-“ Quantum raised a hand to stop him from talking, slowly turning to meet his gaze.

“You didn’t do this to me.” He said softly. Malakai shut his eyes and bowed his head. He didn’t realize he was falling asleep until Quantum started loudly talking, panic clear in his voice.

“Kai! You can’t fall asleep again, you might not wake up! Your brachial artery was hit and you lost a _lot_ of blood, you need to stay awake until someone gets here to help.” Quantum said frantically, leaning forward to put his hands on Malakai’s shoulders.

Malakai opened his eyes and glared at him. Quantum returned the look before glancing down at Malakai’s arms.

“I put bits of your jacket on your arms and your hand but...I think all it’s doing is slowing the bleeding, I don’t know how you haven’t…by now…” He trailed off and shook his head.

“...you called Astoria?” It was more of a statement than a question. Malakai shrugged. He didn’t remember at this point.

“This is the least of your worries but I know it’s a big deal for you...she’s gonna see your scars, and I bet Irene and Olie are coming with her…”

Malakai froze. “...why do you want to hide your scars from them so bad? Do you really think they don’t have scars too…?” Quantum asked.

“...not this many, and they probably aren’t as bad...especially the bite mark…” Malakai mumbled, staring at the ragged mark on his right forearm.

“You think they’d believe me if I said…a zombie got me…?” He started laughing for no apparent reason. Quantum let out a long sigh, looking unamused.

“No. Just tell them the truth, it’ll make them never want to try doing bath salts at least.”

Malakai cringed. “They should just call it...zombie salt. ‘Cause it makes you like a fuckinnn’ zombie when you smoke it...drugs are baddd.”

Quantum opened his mouth to respond when the sharp squeal of tires sounded and a familiar truck pulled up outside of the alley.

“Well...help’s here...Kai, why’s there a piece of paper on your lap…?”


	20. Chapter XX: Irene

_“Kai. Stop it.” Astoria tapped Malakai’s face as his eyes started fluttering closed again. Irene sighed tiredly_ and dropped her head against her fist, her elbow pressed against her thigh.

“Fuck, why...let me sleep…” He batted her away. Irene glanced at the front of the truck, where Quantum and Riot were seated. Riot was talking quickly.  
  
“...we’ll find something, it’s alright, alright? Amputations ain’t that big of a deal, y’know? You can get prosthetics, or a wheelchair, or somethin’, we’ll have you mobile in no time, it’ll be fine.” He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than Quantum.

  
Quantum quickly set a hand on Riot’s shoulder, silencing him. “Riot...I know all this, I already have an idea on what to do.”

Riot pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes staying firmly on the road. Quantum let out a sigh and stared out of the window.

“Why are you pretending like everything’s fine?” It was more of a statement than a question. Quantum tensed up slightly but didn’t turn to Riot as he answered.

“Because it is. I’ll fix up my legs and everything will be back to normal aga-“

“Quantum, you can’t just go through somethin’ awful like that and be fine!” Riot suddenly snapped, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel.

“How do you know!? You didn’t go through it! _I did!”_ Quantum flared up, his voice raising.

“That ain’t how trauma works! I know you ain’t okay!”

“I’m _fine!_ We have better things to worry ab-“ _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Olie’s eyes shot open and she jumped up from where she was laying on the floor. “Wh-what's happening!?”

“We’re bein’ shot at! There’s a car on our ass!” Riot growled from the front seat. _Dammit, we just can’t catch a break…_

Irene reached down and pulled an AK-47 out of the large black duffel bag at her feet. “Riot. Unlock the doors.” She’d had enough of this shit for one night.

“Are you insane!?” Astoria snapped at her, green eyes locking on the gun in her hands. Malakai raised his head, suddenly looking more awake. “Irene, no, don’t do it.”

She ignored them. “Riot. _Open. The doors.”_ She demanded. “Riot, you unlock that doors and I’ll kick your ass!” Olie yelled, nearly slamming into the wall as the truck made a sharp turn, forcing her to sit down on the bench.

“Well, guess I can’t open the d-”

“ _Riot!”_

“Gah! Fine! I’m unlockin’ ‘em!” Riot yelled. Irene waited until she heard a click before kicking open the door metal door. It flew open and she took aim with the gun, releasing several shots at the wheels of the silver car currently in pursuit of them.

The result was quick and pretty anticlimactic. The car spun out and Irene slammed the door before seeing the end result, a loud crash sounding outside it. She tossed the gun on the ground and sat down, dropping her head back into her fist like nothing happened.

She felt several pairs of eyes on her and looked up, seeing Astoria, Malakai, and Olie all staring at her with identical stunned expressions. If she wasn’t in a shit mood she would’ve laughed.

“What?” She asked tiredly, a razor-sharp edge to her voice.

“You just...risked your life and presumably killed whoever was in that car over the span of five seconds and sat down like nothing,” Olie mumbled out.

“Yes. I’m aware.” Irene shrugged.

Olie sputtered for a few seconds before sighing and messing with her butterfly knife.

Up in the front, Riot and Quantum kept glancing into the rearview mirror, shock in the formers' mismatched eyes. Riot simply looked amused, a small smile tugging on his lip.

Astoria stared at her for a few seconds before dragging Malakai back into a lying position. “Stop trying to sit up!”

“She stood up with a fuckin’ AK! I had to see what was going on!” He protested, words slurring.

“Shh!” Astoria put a hand over his mouth, silencing him effectively. Malakai crossed his arms over his chest, looking faintly annoyed. Irene sunk her teeth into her lip to stop herself from letting out a noise at the scars on his arms.

Scars weren’t special to her. She had a few on her arms, covered under her jacket. But Malakai’s arms were near covered in scars of varying size and color. One of them even looked like a _bite_ mark. It perfectly explained why he never took his jacket off, even in the scorching heat.

“Irene?” She ripped her gaze away from his arms at Astoria’s voice and met concerned green eyes.

“I-“

“Okay! We’re here! Mikau should be-“

The doors to the truck suddenly swung open, interrupting Quantum’s own interruption of Astoria. Mikau walked into the truck and scooped up Malakai before quickly exiting and heading towards the bar.

“Ay...lemme walk! I got slashed in the arm, not my legs 'm fine…” Malakai protested.

“Quiet now. You’ve lost a lot of blood, Mr.Malakai.” Mikau rumbled, disappearing inside the bar.  
  
“Mikau, I told you to stop callin’ me that, it sounds so…” Their voices gradually faded into silence.

Irene stood up and briskly left the truck, walking over to Riot as he carried Quantum out of the vehicle.

“Riot. Why are we at your bar?” Irene asked him shortly, following him closely as he strode towards The Chaos. Astoria jogged past them and opened the door while Olie followed silently at Riot’s shoulder.

Riot took his time replying, mumbling a “thank you” to Astoria as he entered the building.

“Well...me and Quantum live above the bar, y’know? Thing is...he’s got a lab _under_ it. We use it for surgeries and medical care when needed. He’s also got a room where he works on medical thingies and tech doohickeys-“

“Did you just call my complex machines and medical findings that I’ve spent years researching and developing _thingies_ and _doohickeys._ ” Quantum scowled. Riot snorted and continued into the hall where the bathrooms were without gracing Quantum with a response. He strode into an open doorway, the _employees only_ closet.

“The entrance to one of the most feared gangs’ underground lab is in the storage closet of a fucking bar...amazing,” Astoria mumbled as they followed him as he descended the concrete stairs.

“Yup. No one goes in here and if they do for whatever reason they’re deterred by the intentionally creepy dark stairs. And if _that_ doesn’t deter them...well...the big metal door at the bottom of the stairs is impossible to enter without the right tools.” Riot stopped at the foot of the stairs, in front of a metal door fit to guard a vault.

He shifted Quantum in his arms and pulled off the black glove on his left hand with his teeth. He pressed it against a pure black scanner until it beeped.

He replaced the glove on his hand and pulled off the thick visor on his eyes. Riot tilted his head to the side slightly so his blind eye lined up with the sensor. It beeped twice and he grabbed the handle to the door, swinging the massive door open easily.

“Impressive…” Irene mumbled out, striding after him.

“Hm, yeah. Quantum wanted more scanners on it, I think he said somethin’ about a tongue scanner? That’d be really gross though…”

“That was a _joke_. Now hurry up before Malakai passes out again.”

“You’re the boss.” Riot picked up the pace. Irene glanced around the lab. It looked exactly like a hospital except less lit, the lights were duller, making everything seem more ominous. Riot opened the door to a room on his right and walked inside it.

Irene entered after him and crossed her arms, glancing at Malakai, who was lying on an operating table. “What’s _she_ doing here?” Olie hissed as she stepped in next to her and Astoria.

Alex was standing next to the table, rapidly talking to Malakai, who now looked very awake and pissed off.

“Oh my god, what happened to you!? You’re so pale, and...wow, your arms are even more scarred than I remember...then again, that was six years ago…” She brushed her fingers against the bite mark on his arm, making Malakai’s entire body tense up and jerk away from her with a gasp.

Alex’s lip twitched into a smirk. “Hah...I forgot your scars are... _sensitive.”_ Her voice lowered at the word.

“Okay, that’s it. One of you better explain why the _fuck_ she’s in here before I light her on fire.” Irene snapped at Riot and Mikau, who were helping Quantum into a wheelchair.

“You’ll do no such thing.” A new voice answered. _Just when this shit couldn’t get any worse…_ Alejandra walked into the room, her dark brown eyes icy as she looked at Irene. Irene returned the glare and two had a silent stare down. Olie grabbed Astoria and dragged her back so the two weren’t in the midst of the growing tension.

“And why, are _you_ here?” Irene eventually spoke, not taking her eyes off Alejandra as she walked closer until she was standing directly in front of Irene.

“He’s my son. Alex is here because, well...she’s the only one here with Malakai’s blood type...and you really should learn some respect for your leader.” She replied.

“How do you know that? I might have his blood type, or Olie, or Astoria-“

“Oh no. I already know all three of your blood types, believe me.” Alejandra smirked slightly.

“How the hell-?”

“Please, I know every single thing about you three. The daughter of my biggest enemy, one of my _former_ biggest enemies, and her girlfriend join my gang. I’d be an idiot _not_ to get as much information as possible on you three before allowing you to join _my_ gang and _live_.” Alejandra stepped around her and walked to the side of Malakai’s bed, silently watching as Quantum took Alex’s blood.

Irene glared after her, feeling fury rise up in her as she realized Alejandra knew way more about her than she would ever be comfortable with.

“You’re smart when you’re not high off your ass, Alejandra.” She said darkly. Alejandra grinned icily and kneeled next to Malakai.

“Malakai…my son…what did he do to you…?” She said softly, reaching up to brush his hair out of his face. He instinctively flinched away from her, his eyes narrowing. Quantum wheeled himself over and began pulling off the ripped leather on Malakai’s arms.

“Uh...I hate to kick you guys out, but I need space and everyone watching isn’t...good, for me.” Quantum spoke, glancing in Irene’s direction before turning to Riot and Mikau’s.

“You two,” Alejandra spoke up, turning to Riot and Mikau.

“Yes, _Ceannaire?_ ” Riot replied, straightening up.

“Make yourselves useful. I want every single set leader stationed in New York gathered at my mansion in...how long do you think he’ll take to recover?” Alejandra asked Quantum, jerking her head at Malakai.

“H-he uh, hasn’t slept tonight and he’s lost a lot of blood. He’s going to need at least twelve hours of sleep after he gets blood in his body.” Quantum replied, taking out a scalpel and beginning to scrape away the scabs forming on Malakai’s cuts.

Malakai’s eye twitched but he didn’t make any other indication he was in pain.

“And the time is…?”

“6:12 AM, cap’n.” Riot replied, glancing down at his phone.

“...there’s no way he can recover any earlier?”

“I...I can see how he feels after ten hours but he really sh-“

“Fine. I want every set leader at my house at 6:00 PM. Tell them if they’re a minute late I’ll use their blood to paint my walls a new color.” Alejandra turned away from Riot and Mikau, turning back to Malakai.

“Yessum, right away.” Riot saluted sarcastically at her back and left the room, Mikau dipped his head to Alejandra and followed after him.

“You three. Get out of my sight and go back to the mansion. You’ll need to attend the meeting too and you _will_ be on your best behavior. Everyone’s not happy about me making you top set so you better make a good first impression and prove I made a good choice. _Or else.”_ Alejandra glanced at Irene, Olie, and Astoria.

Irene clenched her fists. Alex smirked at her, green eyes gleaming, a smug message clear in her eyes. _I get to stay with him, you don’t and on top of that, I get to basically save his life. Fuck you._ Was what she seemed to be saying. _Okay, sure. I can play that game too._

Irene walked over to Malakai’s bedside and kneeled next to it, on Alejandra’s opposite side. Alejandra glared at her and Malakai gave her a tired look, mustering a weak half-smile. She was still pissed at him for almost dying. But...well, pissing off two people she deeply hated was too tempting.

“Irene, come on we should g-oh.” Olie fell completely silent as Irene leaned forward and tangled her hands in Malakai’s hair, roughly pressing her lips against his. He froze for a second before returning the kiss slowly and passionately.

Irene slowly pulled away from the kiss after several seconds, smirking slightly as she stood up. She walked towards the door without a word before pausing in the doorway.

She turned her head to the side, taking a moment to take in Olie and Astoria’s stunned expressions, Malakai’s dazed one, and Alex and Alejandra’s infuriated ones. Quantum had turned away and was busying himself with grabbing the bow full bag of blood from the tray next to Alex.

“I’ll see you tonight, Kai.” She said lowly before smoothly strutting out of the room, a massive grin crossing her face as she turned away.

“Holy _shit_ we are fucking lucky that’s our girlfriend _.”_


	21. Chapter XXI: Astoria

_Astoria walked out of the room after Olie once the two snapped out of their stupor. She picked up the pace to catch up to_ Irene.

“Hey! Slow down! Your legs are crazy long.” Olie protested, speeding up to match her pace.

“Shit, sorry Olie…” She slowed down before slamming to a halt as Irene stopped at the front door of the lab.

“Irene...that was…What you did back there was…” Astoria spoke up after a moment of staring at Irene’s back.

Irene turned around and gave a soft laugh, her expression still tired and faintly annoyed. “Inappropriate?”

“Well...sort of. But Alex and Alejandra deserved it and...I don’t think Malakai was exactly mad about it.” Olie shrugged.

Irene smiled slightly and turned back around with a hum, beginning to ascend the concrete stairs leading to the entrance of the lab.

“True…” She hummed. Astoria followed after her, debating whether or not to comment on Irene’s mood as they reached the top of the stairs.

“Irene…? Are you sure you’re okay? You seemed pretty...upset before we got here.” Astoria said as they exited the storage closet.

“...I was just worried about Kai and…” Irene quickly trailed off, keeping her eyes steadily ahead as Astoria walked at her shoulder, Olie following on Irene’s opposite side.

“And…?” Olie prompted, blue eyes focused on Irene as she opened the door to The Chaos and held it open for them.

“And I’m tired of all of this.” She said simply, letting the door fall shut as they walked out. She glanced around before cursing.

“Shit, we came in the truck and now Riot and Mikau are gone...it’s a long walk back to the mansion…there’s a bus station…” She mumbled, beginning to walk towards it, her shoulders slumping. “I need a damn coffee…”

Astoria and Olie followed after her, exchanging concerned glances. “What do you mean by “tired of all this”?” Astoria asked.

Irene shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the small encasing around the bus stop, ignoring the wide eye gazes of the few people waiting for the bus.

“Tell you later...don't wanna say stuff with...certain people listening.” She swung her head around and locked eyes with a man who was staring with extreme interest.

 _He looks familiar...must be a news reporter or something…_ Irene didn’t look away from the man as he stared back defiantly. The two didn’t look away from each other until the bus rolled up, and even then, Irene made sure he looked away first.

Irene’s posture didn’t relax, neither did her expression as she strode up the bus. She paused for a second and glanced at Olie and Astoria, jerking her head at the bus.

“Uh...okay then...” Olie shrugged at her behavior change before following Irene onto the bus. Astoria glanced at the bus driver as she walked past him, seeing him dip his head slightly to her in acknowledgment. 

She gave him a short nod in return and walked to the back of the bus, where Irene was standing, one arm leaning against a pole casually while one of her legs was crossed over the other.

“Irene...how’s this dude gonna take us to the mansion? Doesn’t that seem a little...private for a bus?” Astoria asked, sitting down in a seat next to her.

“Don’t worry, just wait until everyone gets off the bus and I’ll take care of it,” Irene replied, her eyes shutting as she rubbed her forehead, suddenly looking twice as exhausted as she had this morning. “Fuck, these lights are bright.” She grumbled, straightening up after a moment.

Olie scooted over, effectively shoving Astoria against the window. “Ow,” Astoria grunted. Olie shot her an apologetic look before turning back to Irene.

“Here. Sit down and rest.” She patted the seat before cringing a little, realizing how filthy the city busses were. “Ew…”

“I’m fi-“

“Irene. Sit.” Olie’s eyes darkened and her voice lowered. Irene’s eye twitched before she let out a long sigh and sat down. “Now rest.”

“I’m not-“

“ _Irene._ Stop being a Kai and relax for once. We’ll wake you up after everyone gets off the bus, okay?” Irene glanced between her and Astoria before sighing and leaning her head back, shutting her cerulean blue eyes.

Olie turned to Astoria. “You should rest too.” She said, giving her a once over.

“It’s okay. Really.” Astoria shot her a smile that she hoped looked convincing. Olie’s expression didn’t relax, eyes narrowing further.

“You know you’re a shit liar, right?” She asked. Astoria let out a long sigh and glanced out the window.

“Not true. You’re just good at reading me.” She said softly.

“Would you like me to rephrase? You’re a shit liar to _me.”_ Olie leaned over and nudged her chin with the back of her hand so Astoria was facing her.

“Why are you all so damn stubborn about sleeping?” She grumbled, her expression softening, the fondness in her voice taking off the edge of her words.

“You’re pretty fucking stubborn too, love,” Astoria replied, cracking a small smile at her girlfriend.

“Well...yeah. I guess that’s true. But still, you should at least take a nap, who knows how long that stupid meeting’s gonna b-“ Olie broke off as Irene’s head dropped on her shoulder, the taller girl snoring softly. Olie’s eyes widened and she stared at Irene for a few seconds, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Astoria took her surprise as an opportunity to take a picture of the two on her phone. _Gotta send that to Kai later._ Olie glared at her after noticing her and tensed up, either to attempt to steal Astoria’s phone or playfully swat her.

“Ay, you don’t wanna wake her up, do you?” Astoria asked smugly, smirking triumphantly at Olie. Olie’s glare intensified.

“Too late, you two are loud…” Irene mumbled, not opening her eyes.

“Shit, sorry, we’ll keep it down,” Olie said apologetically.

“...s’okay…” Irene’s voice sounded bleary and her breathing evened out, signaling she had fallen asleep again.

Astoria’s phone buzzed in her hand and she furrowed her brow in confusion. _Who the hell is texting me?_ Normally the only people who texted her were Malakai, Olie, and Irene. _Wrong number maybe? Wait, did I pay my phone bill? Shit…_

She turned her phone in her hand and froze up as soon as she saw the contact name.

**Dara**

**Now**

**Hey.**

Astoria stared at her phone screen. Her mind went blank. She just kept staring at the screen, not registering it shutting off. Not registering Olie quietly asking her what was wrong, worry in her voice. Not registering Olie plucking her phone from her grasp and putting it in her hoodie pocket. Not registe-

“Astoria!” Olie grabbed her hand and squeezed hard, jerking Astoria back to the real world as pain flowed in her hand, making her instinctively jerk back.

“Ow!” She shook her hand out, silently asking _why_ Olie was so strong. Astoria looked at Olie, meeting her concerned gaze and slowly relaxed.

“What happened? You froze up and looked super distant.” Olie spoke, her eyes studying her carefully.

Astoria sighed. “...just...a text from someone I haven’t talked to in a while. I just wasn’t ready for it.” She replied vaguely.

Olie kept staring at her, either deciding whether or not to press her for more information, or whether or not Astoria was telling the truth. She eventually pursed her lips and looked down, grabbing Astoria’s hand (Thankfully much gentler this time) and interlocked their fingers.

“Okay...just...can you try to...relax? You don’t need to sleep just...I can tell you’re tense. I won’t pry but…” She trailed off. Astoria nodded slowly, glancing at Irene before shifting in her seat, enabling her to bend her neck so she could rest her head on Olie’s shoulder.

“Guess I’m a human pillow now,” Olie mumbled, although she didn’t sound mad about it at all.

“You love it,” Astoria said quietly, allowing her eyes to flutter shut.

“Hah...yeah…”

“Hey. Guys. Wake up, the last couple of people are getting off the bus and also I _can’t_ feel my shoulders.” Olie’s voice roused Astoria from a peaceful, dreamless sleep and she slowly raised her head, unable to open her eyes just yet.

When she finally opened her eyes, she cringed at the bright lights, forcing herself to adjust to them. She blinked a few times, watching as Irene walked to the front of the bus, looking completely awake.

Olie sighed in relief next to her, rolling her shoulders gratefully. “How long...were we out for?” Astoria asked groggily, stretching her arms.

“An hour? Maybe two? I’m not really sure, I lost track of time and couldn’t check, nor did I have anyone to ask, so…” Olie shrugged.

Astoria nodded, standing up to stretch her legs. Olie copied her movements and watched as Irene strode back to them.

“We’ll be home in ten minutes tops.” She said, leaning on the seat in front of them.

“Great, we have time to relax, it’s only like...eight AM.” Olie commenter, sitting back down again.

“Yeah, maybe we can…” Astoria got distracted from their voices as her phone buzzed again.

**Dara**

**Now**

**Stop being an ass and respond. I don’t wanna talk to you any more than you want to talk to me. I wouldn’t even text you unless it was really important so stop being immature.**

_Well fuck you too._ Astoria had half a mind to respond with those exact words.

So she did.

She watched as Dara read the message and began typing a response in record time. A small satisfied smirk crossed her face. Her twin was very easy to annoy. Especially considering she knew exactly how to get under his skin from years of experience.

**Dara**

**Now**

**Ugh, this is one of the reasons I don’t talk to you! Can you just, listen for once??**

Astoria hummed and took her time typing out her response.

**What do you want?**

**Dara**

**Now**

**Dymera saw you in a news article and showed it to me. What the hell are you doing with Banda’s? Is that why you up and left all those years ago? To join them?**

Astoria sunk her teeth into her lip. _No, I left because running a gang is hard and you’re a dick and I finally had enough._

“Astoria?” She looked up at Irene’s voice and saw her and Olie giving her worried looks.

“Uh. Sorry, what is it?” She glanced between the two of them.

“We’re here...are you okay?” Irene took a step forward.

“Yeah! I’m fine, let’s go, I think I just need to lay down. I’m not feeling too good.” Astoria blurted out, shoving her phone into her pocket.

“...okay.” Irene slowly turned and walked towards the doors of the bus, Olie hesitating a moment before walking after her.

Astoria reached for her pocket as she followed the two, keeping a few paces behind them as she typed.

**Why does it matter to you what I do? You don’t care about me, you never texted me after I disappeared three years ago so what’s your deal? It's not like you couldn't contact me or some shit.**

She glanced away from her phone briefly to make sure she didn’t trip on the steps. She glanced behind her at the bus driver, seeing him staring ahead with a bored expression.

“Thanks again Hal.” Irene nodded to him. He returned the nod, giving her a small smile before shutting the doors behind Astoria and driving off.

“You know him?” Olie asked as they walked up the steps to the Calhoun’s mansion.

“Yeah. I’ve rode his bus since I was a little kid, he’s pretty nice. A little favor like this wasn’t hard to get from him, he thinks I’m a good person. Y’know, despite the gang shit.” Irene shrugged, pulling a key from the pocket of her jacket.

“Ah, gang shit.” Olie snorted, stepping inside the now unlocked house after Irene, who had suddenly paused.

“I...I feel like something’s wrong.” She said quietly. Astoria glanced around, her hand instinctively reaching for her concealed knife.

“I feel it too...somethings not right.” She mumbled.

“Maybe because it’s so empty? Normally there’s a lot of people here, y’know? Us three, Malakai, his mom. Whoever’s visiting and Alexandr-“ Olie abruptly stopped talking and charged off towards the stairs.

Astoria ran after her, Irene at her heels. Olie disappeared into Alexandrite’s room.

“Olie, what are you do-“ Astoria stopped as she stared into the room, her eyes trailing from the empty crib to the open window next to it, to Alex’s father, Will, laying next to the crib in a bloody heap. He slowly raised his head, his eyes full and blank.

“She’s gone.”


	22. Chapter XXII: Olie

_ “Will. Will. Who-how-what-“ Astoria started stuttering and Olie reached up and set a hand on her shoulder, silencing her. _

“Will. Who did this?” She walked over to him and knelt in front of him, forcing her voice to keep steady. Irene disappeared from the room, mumbling something about medical supplies under her breath, eyes dark.

“...Banda’s, it was them…” He coughed, cringing. “I recognized them from meetings…”

“What did they look like? Do you know their names?” Olie shuffled aside as Irene returned, kneeling in front of Will.

“...Alfie and...I think the other one was named...Or...Or-something…” He shook his head, wincing as Irene cleaned the blood off his face.

“Did they stab you?” She asked him. He shook his head.

“No, they just...gave me a damn good beating, hah…” He gave a harsh laugh before coughing violently.

Irene nodded and continued cleaning him up. “You said Or-something? Orlaith? Does that sound right?” She spoke.

Will nodded lazily, his gaze flitting to Astoria as she walked over to the group, a trash can in her hands. Irene mumbled a thanks and tossed bloody tissues into the trash.

“Hah...look at me. Gettin’ cleaned up by someone who would’ve beaten me worse just a few months ago…” Will gave a small grin, several of his teeth missing, a trail of blood streaming from his gums.

“Yes. Life’s full of turns and shitty surprises. Did they happen to say where they were going? How’d they even get in here?” Irene changed the subject.

“They planned this pretty well. Everyone was out except me and the baby, no ones watching the security. They scaled the building and broke in through the window.” He jerked his head at the broken glass piled near the crib.

“Damn good thing none o’ that glass hit the baby…” Will rubbed his bleeding head. “Ah, shit…I fuckin’ failed that kid…”

“You care about her?” Olie couldn’t stop the words from flying from her mouth. Will gave an emotionless laugh, pulling out a package of cigarettes from his pocket, bringing one up to his lips and lighting it.

“I must’ve done some bad shit for you to assume I don’t care about a baby getting kidnapped…” He rasped, blowing a puff of smoke into the air, making Irene wrinkle her nose and shuffle back.

“So tell me, what’d I do?” Will turned to face Olie. “Is this about me fucking up with that shoot out a couple weeks ago? It was an honest mistake...scared the hell outta me, I thought we were done for…”

Olie shook her head. “No, no...I just…”  _ Assumed you were a prick who didn’t care about anything based on the way your daughter acts.  _

“Bad first impression maybe? I don’t believe we’ve ever talked though...unless it has something to do with Alex…?” He started attempting to stand up, wincing and gripping at his ribs as he did.

When Olie hesitated to respond he nodded slowly. “That makes sense...she’s certainly not...likeable, as of recent. Would make sense if I had a part in that, right?” 

Olie still didn’t respond, slowly rising to her feet. “Ah well...not my place or the time to tell Alex’s story or mine. Right now Alejandra needs to know her daughter’s gone missing.” He pulled out his phone.

Olie continued staring at him, glancing between Astoria and Irene’s troubled expressions. 

_ If I had the time, I’d worry more about what he said about Alex but...right now I need to focus on...this. _ She glanced around the destroyed room, tuning out Will and Alejandra’s conversation.

_ Would Alejandra care that Alexandrite’s missing…? I don’t understand that woman at all...especially because she acts like an entirely different person when she’s high...if she did care, would it be for the right reasons?  _

“...lie...Olie...Olie!” She jumped at Irene’s voice.

“Yeah? What’s up?” She looked up at Irene.

“Alejandra said she wants us to patrol the mansion in case anyone tries to break in again or is still here.” Irene explained. Olie nodded, following after her as they left the room. 

“What about him?” Astoria asked, jerking her head back at Will.

“Alejandra told him to rest in the guest bedroom until later. She’s called an emergency meeting, she should be here in a half hour or less along with the set leaders.” Irene headed to the end of the hall to Alejandra’s bedroom.

“Okay...why are we going into Alejandra’s room?” Olie said as Irene opened the door to the bedroom. 

“There’s a master key in there, she said we’d need it to get into any locked rooms in the basement. She wants all three floors to have someone on it at all times. Any volunteers for the...basement…” Irene trailed off as she stared into the master bedroom.

The room was big. The walls were pale beige, contrasting nicely against the deep red of the carpet. The wall to their left was more so a window rather than wall, covered by pure white curtains. 

On the opposite wall was a cherrywood vanity with a massive mirror. The bed was covered in pristine white sheets, one side of the bed was perfectly made while the other was messy. It had an intricate golden headboard. Two nightstands stood on either side of the bed, both also made from cherrywood. A gold and crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

“ _ Wow... _ I think this room’s more expensive than three years worth of rent at our old place, Olie…” Astoria muttered, staring around the room in awe.

“It’s sorta empty but...everything in it just screams ‘rich’...” Olie replied, looking around the room. 

Irene shook her head, the look of awe fading from her face. “I...okay...where did she say it was gonna be…?” Irene narrowed her eyes in thought as Olie ran over to a door next to the nightstand and pulled it open.

“Olie! Wa-“ Irene once again broke off as she peered over Olie’s head into the room she uncovered. Astoria joined them and the three quietly stared into the small room.

There was a fireplace with a couch across from it. Mounted above the fireplace was a massive picture frame, the trim a golden, winding spiral. 

Three people stood in the picture. The first was a slim man of average height, he was pale with orange hair and yellow eyes, Matteo Calhoun. Next to him stood the shorter, wiry form of Alejandra. The third person was standing in front and in between the two. His shoulders tensed up, either to make space for his parents’ forms or out of discomfort from his father’s hand on his shoulder.

All three were staring at the camera with matching icy expressions. “Wow...that’s...quite the family portrait…” Irene said quietly, stepping further into the room to look at the photo.

“Malakai really looks like his parents when he makes that face,” Astoria mumbled.   
  
“You mean like an asshole?” Irene snorted.    
  
“I mean, well...yes. Alejandra and Matteo are both assholes…” Astoria nodded after a moment.   
  
“I hate it when him and his mom make that face, it’s...weird. It’s almost emotionless.” Olie spoke up, scanning over the photo.   
  
“It’s a gang thing,” Astoria said.   
  
“What is?”

“Those expressions…” She jerked her head up at the photo. “Everyone’s gotta act like a prick when they have a public image to uphold, the media loves us. In a lifestyle where you’re seen as dangerous and deadly and have rivals that are equally dangerous, you can’t afford to show anything except a cold killer. Especially when...you’re a high ranking member.” Astoria’s gaze flashed to Irene, who was nodding, and up to the picture of the Calhoun’s. 

Olie glanced between Irene, Astoria, and the picture. “And...you guys have done that all your lives? Put a mask on to uphold an image…?”

“I mean, I relaxed when I was alone and around Kai when I realized he wasn’t my enemy and he was more than just the facade he’d always put on every time I saw him.” Irene said, walking deeper into the room and beginning to look under the couch cushions.

“How did you two even become a thing? Your gangs don’t exactly...mix nicely.” Astoria leaned against the doorframe.

“I’ve known him since I was allowed to do things for the gang and come to meetings. We had a rocky start, as you can imagine. But when everyone had to be fake as shit during meetings we eventually started getting more comfortable around each other and relaxing. We had a lot in common so we just complained about overbearing parents, gang life and what we were gonna do when we came to power.” Irene scowled slightly as she came up empty handed and began searching the fireplace.

“That went on for a while and eventually we began sneaking out to see each other. I began getting feelings for him after a year or two…” Her voice softened as she moved on from the fireplace and walked out to the bedroom. Olie and Astoria waited patiently as she searched the sheets and pillows of the bed. 

“It was nice, really. Everyone acted like I was royalty or something in my gang and in school or on the streets I was completely avoided out of fear. He didn’t treat me like I was...different, I guess. He understood how I felt. 

Despite all that, I was suspicious for a while. I’d been raised to never trust anyone except my gang, and most certainly not a Fedeltá, hell he was the  _ son _ of the leaders. But I soon realized that he wasn’t the stories I’d been told or the cold person I saw on TV or at meetings. And he saw the same with me.” Irene paused staring wistfully at the sheets of the bed as she straightened up, still empty handed.

“Go on…” Olie said quietly after a few beats of silence.

Irene headed towards the door on the opposite side of the bed, opening it to reveal a bathroom. She entered it, prompting Olie and Astoria to follow her as she began talking again.

“So I danced around my crush on him for a while, conflicted. No one could know about it but...love’s a very powerful emotion. It outweighs fear and reason. So one night...we were walking around the town, it was so late and we were in the quieter parts of town just in case we saw anyone.

We were hanging out by a warehouse and some guys thought it’d be a good idea to try and rob us. Malakai ended up getting stabbed in the shoulder after taking out the first guy. I took out the second dude and started freaking out over the knife in Malakai. He was pretty out of it from blood loss and he ended up confessing his feelings for me before passing out.” She chuckled, kneeling down to open the drawers under the sink.

“I thought he just said that because of blood loss but...we talked after I got him patched up with the help of Quantum and turns out...luckily it wasn’t the blood loss talking. The rest is history, we’ve been dating for almost two years now.” She smiled, closing the drawers and standing up to push the mirror open, scanning the shelves behind it.

“That’s...a lot.” Astoria said after a moment of silence. Olie nodded, processing the information. 

“It is. I didn’t even go into full detail though, we got into all sorts of shit...finally! I found the damn key.” Irene grinned, holding the key proudly.

“Alright. After this shit’s over you gotta tell me and Kai how you two got together, I sorta realized that...we don’t really know much about each other, do we?” Irene’s grin faded a little and her arms lowered.

Olie opened her mouth to protest before falling silent.  _ We don’t...I know a lot about Astoria but...Kai and Irene? There’s a lot I feel like I missed with them… _

“Yeah, it’d be good for us all to actually just sit down and...talk. We haven’t done that enough...hopefully this all blows over soon and we’ll have the time.” Astoria said, nodding.

“Of course, yeah!” Olie found her voice. 

“Right. So...who wants to take the basement?” Irene glanced between the two of them.

“You won’t? Are you scared?” Astoria teased her.

“Hell no. I just...I need to find Hail and make sure he’s okay. I haven’t seen him in a while. Hopefully he’s in the yard though. I’m taking the first floor so I can check though.” Irene crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’ll take the basement.” Olie spoke up hastily. Irene handed her the key, her lip twitching slightly. Astoria furrowed her brows.

“Uh, Olie? You okay? You look a little-“

“I’m fine.” Olie cut off Astoria. “I’ll be in the basement. Text me if either of you need me.”

With that, Olie turned on her heel and walked out of the room before Astoria or Irene could reply. She looked down at the key as she went down the stairs, Irene’s words rang in her head

_ “We don’t really know much about each other, do we?” _

_ Did we rush into a relationship with Kai and Irene…? Up until a few months ago they were people I feared and would’ve avoided at all costs and now I’m...dating both of them. _

She shook her head and walked through the house, going to a door in the living room next to the massive flatscreen TV. Olie opened the door and stared down into the dark basement.

_ At least I’ll have time to think alone down here... _


	23. Chapter XXIII: Malakai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Intense-ish makeout session at the end, it's skippable and you'll know it when you see it.

_Malakai stared at his mother suspiciously as she drove them back to their mansion._ Something was bothering her. He could see it all over her face despite that practiced stoic expression she was wearing.

"Mom."

"Yes, Malakai?" Her dark brown eyes didn't stray from the road as she answered him curtly.

"What's going on? Why did you call an emergency meeting? Quantum was seconds away from exploding back there when you said I have to leave. He's under a lot of stress already with him losin' his legs-"

"Malakai. I'll tell you after the meeting, okay? Let's just...get home and get this meeting over with." Her grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"I-no. When are you gonna stop hiding things from me?" Malakai swallowed.

"When you're mature enough to handle your emotions properly." Alejandra replied.

" _What?_ That's it? You think I'm not mature enough to handle whatever's going on?" Malakai stared at her incredulously.

"Yes. Your temper gets the better of you and you think so irrationally that all you can think about doing is acting. Your actions by extension, are also irrational and you get either yourself into trouble, or those around you." She glanced away from the road to fix him with a stern glare.

"Bullshit! You and dad never gave me a ch-"

"Do _not_ bring your father into this."

"Why not? He's as much apart of this as you are, even if he is..." Malakai paused at the word. _Why can't I say it...?_

"Exactly. He's not here and can't speak for himself so leave him out of it."

"If he was here he'd punch me right in the jaw for speaking out against him and you know it. There _was_ no talking. Funny you accuse me of acting irrational when dad acted the _exact. Same. Fucking. Way."_

Alejandra pulled over to the side of the road and slammed on the breaks. She undid her seatbelt and grabbed Malakai by the collar, dragging him forward to meet her eyes. He glared back at her.

They stared at each other for several seconds. Malakai waited. He knew it was coming.

And it did.

" _How many times do I have to fucking tell you not to bring him up!? Do you know how hard it is for me to hear all the bad things people are saying about him without having our own son say them too!? He's dead for fucks sake! I know you don't give a shit because you're too damn selfish to care about your own fucking father but I..._

Malakai tuned her out. He'd lost track of all the times she'd screamed in his face. He resisted a shudder of fear as he recalled the first time she went all out on him. He was nine years old.

_"You know I hate liars goddamit! You're a selfish little prick and I'm sick of it!" Alejandra screamed at him from the front seat of their car. Malakai pressed himself against the back of his car seat, terror like he'd never felt before coursing through him. He couldn't remember what he'd done._

_It didn't matter. He was just glad his mom was driving and in the front seat while he was in the back._

_His mother breathed heavily, her eyes gleaming with rage in the rear view mirror. Malakai was exhausted. He hadn't gotten any sleep last night. Despite his terror, he started falling asleep against his will._

_"GET THE FUCK UP! DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING FALL ASLEEP ON ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU."_

The last four words were spoken in his memory and in real time as he snapped out of the memory, registering Alejandra falling silent as she released his collar and moved back to her seat, breathing hard. She ran her fingers through her hair.

Malakai stared at the dashboard. The memory always made him shudder, he still remembered the sheer terror perfectly. He stopped feeling fear when his mother screamed at him as he got older. That particular memory would never be easy to relive despite that.

Alejandra started driving again after several minutes of silence. Malakai glanced at his bare arms, turning them over and looking over each scar carefully.

He looked back at the dashboard as several memories hit him, triggered by each scar. _Okay. Not now. Don't look at them now. Just calm down. Now's not the time to spiral._

Malakai jerked the sleeves of his new jacket down and glanced around for a distraction, his gaze flicking over his mother. He quickly looked away and resorted to staring out his window.

"...how's Tuz and Friso?" Alejandra spoke up after several minutes of silence. Malakai paused at the names. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised that his mom was attempting to talk to him or that she brought up his only friends in the gang.

"...they're good. I haven't talked to them in a while with everything goin' on...are they okay?" He replied, feeling worry worm it's way into his gut.

"They're both fine, in fact...Tuz has been doing really well lately and we needed more set leaders so...I promoted them. They're the only one in the set along with Friso for now, but new people will be joining their set soon. They're both gonna be at the meeting tonight." Alejandra said, sounding like she was forcing the words out.

"Really? That's great...I ain't seen them in months." Malakai turned away from the window to briefly look at his mother.

She nodded, looking like she had more to say. Malakai stared out of the front window, watching as cars zoomed past.

"Those girls...your girlfriends." He immediately tensed up. "You do know you can't trust them, right?"

"No, actually. I don't know what you're talking about." He snapped.

"Of course you wouldn't, you're naive. Malakai, I know more about those girls than you could ever dream of-"

"It doesn't matter. They'll tell me what they want _when_ they want to."

"Even if they do tell you everything, are you going to be okay with it? Think for a minute. You've known Olie and Astoria for roughly a year, and Irene for about two. They had their whole lives before that, do you _really_ know them? Can you really trust them?"

"Stop." Malakai gritted his teeth.

Alejandra pressed on. "I'm only looking out for your safety, I just want what's best for you." _Bullshit._

"Are you absolutely certain you're not being used? Do you think they actually care about you and not what you have to offer? Look at all the money your father and I have. Look at how we live, what we can afford. On top of that we have the most powerful gang in the state, possibly in the country, beneath our command. Protection, money...and you yourself."

Malakai swallowed, trying to keep his composure despite her playing on his insecurities. _She's lying. She's lying. She always lies._

"You remind me of your father when he was younger, looks wise. I'm glad he trained you personally, it paid off. We always wanted you to be powerful and strong...a shame we couldn't get your brain to be as strong as your body." She sighed.

Malakai stayed completely silent, staring down at his white, trembling knuckles.

"Really Malakai, can't you see we always wanted what was best for you? Can't you see I'm just trying to make sure you don't get hurt by them? You're being used. You're a tool and you're obviously not smart enough to-oh, look. We're home-"

Malakai ripped off his seatbelt and threw open the door to his mother's car. He speed walked towards the house, his breathing quickening. _She's lying. She's a liar. They wouldn't do that. They're not like that. They're not like that_.

He paused at the top of the steps to the mansion as a familiar laugh sounded to his right. _No. He's not..._ A slim man stepped out from behind one of the pillars, an arrogant smirk on his face. His yellow eyes gleaming with malice.

"What have I told you about listening to your mother, Malakai? If her words won't work on you, then maybe the message will get through when it's _beaten_ into you!" Matteo swung at him, causing Malakai to instinctively shut his eyes. The hit never landed. He opened his eyes, seeing nothing there.

Alejandra brushed past him, unlocking one of the doors to the mansion. He slowly walked in the house after her, glancing around for any sign of his father. _He's dead. It's just the stress._

"Wow...you really are weak. I thought I taught you better than that." Malakai whipped around, watching as his father tossed a golden desert eagle in the air.

"You're pathetic. I gave you everything you needed to become strong and despite all of that you are _still_ weak. Weakness dooms you to an early death...no matter. You'll be truly powerful one day. It's in your blood, no matter what, you can't escape it just like you can't escape me." Matteo tossed the gun one more time.

 _Woof! Woof!_ Malakai turned around again at a loud barking behind him. A massive white blur shot towards him and he suddenly found himself holding a white wolf dog.

"Ah, stop! Hail!" Malakai cringed away from the dog as he started eagerly licking his face, his tail waving wildly.

"Hail! Get back here! Where are you even going!?" Irene appeared from the living room, pausing as she spotted Malakai.

"Kai, hey! You're back...you look really pale, are you okay? Didn't Quantum say you're supposed to be resting? You shouldn't be carrying Hail like that yet!" She walked over to him quickly.

"I'm fine, Hail doesn't even weigh that much." Malakai replied, keeping his voice steady.

"Malakai. I went to the vet last week and he told me he weighs 250 pounds. He's not a small dog." Irene crossed her arms.

"Like I said, not that much!" Malakai shrugged, giving her a reassuring smile. She returned his smile with an unimpressed look and pointedly glanced at the floor.

Malakai sighed and set Hail down on the carpet. Hail sat down and began grooming himself happily.

"Where's Ol and Ast?" He asked her, glancing around.

"Upstairs and down in the basement." She walked closer and stood in front of him. He stared at her for several seconds, feeling himself relax as he stared into her eyes.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay...?" She said seriously, concern in her gaze.

"Irene, I'm fine, really. I've been through worse shit and I'm still alive, ya know?"

"Yeah, you're only alive because I've been there to drag you out of shit." She snorted, relaxing slightly before grabbing him in a hug.

He returned the hug quickly, the last bit of tension draining from his body at the simple gesture.

Malakai pulled back from the hug and grabbed her hand, glancing around before pulling her towards the living room.

"Thanks for uh...kissin' me back at the lab. Alex and my mom were so _pissed_. It was great." Malakai looked at her.

Irene laughed. "I figured they wouldn't be too happy about it. Alex just looked so smug I couldn't take it."

"She deserved it. And y'know, I'm not complaining at all, about the kiss." He glanced away for a second as Irene smirked.

"Oh? Really? You enjoy it?" She teased him, stepping in front of him. He turned to face her and reached up to cup her chin in his hand, brief nervousness forgotten.

"Of course I did. And I'd do it again." He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, his eyes shutting.

Irene chuckled against his lips and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He lowered his hand from her chin and set both of his hands on her hips. Irene leaned closer and pressed her body against his, her hands moved to his front, one hand rubbing his chest while her other hand traced his collarbone.

Malakai inhaled through his nose, continuing to kiss her as he dipped his hands under her shirt, pressing his hands against her bare skin. Irene pulled away from the kiss with a gasp. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her jaw before trailing down to her neck, the kisses getting quicker with every small gasp that escaped her lips. He eventually attached his lips to the side of her neck, making a soft moan escape her lips as she threw her head back.

Malakai glanced up at her, watching her beautiful cerulean eyes flutter shut. He kept sucking and nipping on her neck. Her hand slid down his chest to the hem of his shirt. Malakai tensed up as her hand slid up his shirt, his breath quickening as she traced his muscles with her fingers.

He pulled away from her neck and leaned towards her lips again when he suddenly heard Alejandra calling his name. He groaned and slipped his hands out of Irene's shirt, sinking his teeth into his lip as she slowly did the same, smirking lightly as she purposefully dragged her fingers down his body on the way.

"Dammit." He grumbled. Irene snorted and briefly kissed him one more time before nudging him towards his mother's voice.

"See you tonight, Kai." She winked and began walking in the opposite direction. He stared after her unashamedly before pausing.

"Hey." He called her. She spun on her heel and cocked an eyebrow, walking backwards.

"I love you." He smiled at her. She returned it genuinely.

"I love you too." 


	24. Chapter XXIV: Irene

_Irene yawned, stretching her arms as she walked down the stairs to the basement._ The set leaders were beginning to arrive at the mansion and Alejandra ordered her to go fetch Olie, like she was some sort of dog.

 _She's the only bitch around here..._ Irene smiled and chuckled to herself, a hand reaching up to brush against the hickey on her neck. Alejandra looked like she was going to explode when she saw it, coupled with her and Malakai's ruffled appearance.

 _I have absolutely no regrets._ She thought to herself as she walked down the stairs to the basement.

"Olie? Where are you?" She called, looking around the small room she was in. Irene walked over to an entryway and entered a room. It was a large room with a massive pool table stationed in the middle of it and three couches.

She hummed and walked into the next room, pausing in surprise. The room seemed to be a small movie theater. Nearly an entire wall was covered by a TV and there were couches set up on different levels like a movie theatre.

"Okay, what other kind of fancy shit do they have? An indoor pool?" She snorted to herself and walked over to the door on the side of the couches. She swung open the door and nearly slammed it shut in exasperation as a wave of humid air hit her.

"A fucking indoor pool." She shook her head, staring at the massive pool. _Okay. I've seen enough._ "Olie!? Where are you?" She called loudly.

"In here!" Olie shouted from yet another room on the side of the pool. Irene sighed and walked into the humid room, stepping towards the opened door Olie's voice had come from.

She walked inside the room and rubbed her temples as she stared at the full-size gym.

"Isn't this house crazy? Can you even call it a house? It has everything." Olie snorted, looking around at all the expensive equipment.

"Literally everything..." Irene followed her gaze.

"Anyway, what'd you need me fo-what happened to your neck? You look like you got punched..." Olie stretched up to look at her neck, bracing herself on Irene's shoulders.

"Um. Nothing, just...uh..." Irene couldn't think of an excuse.

"Is that a hickey?" Olie questioned her, leaning back with a small grin.

"Well...yeah. It is." Irene nodded, seeing no point in lying to Olie. She was her girlfriend after all.

"Did Astoria give that to you? Wait...she did, right? There's not some random person here you're cheating on us with, right...?" Olie's expression shifted into a slightly worried one.

"No, no. Kai's here and he did it." Irene quickly reassured her. Olie nodded with a small sigh of relief, relaxing.

"Ah. Of course, right. Hah...oh! What'd you want me for?"

"The set leaders are here and Alejandra wants us all up there along with Astoria." Irene began walking out of the room.

"Oh. We're not set leaders though, what does she need us for?" Olie asked as they went back into the pool room.

"We're top set. We have to be there and make a good first impression." Irene said, stripping off her jacket as she was unable to bear the heat of the room.

"That makes sense..." Olie watched her subtly out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah. Not sure how they're gonna feel about me and Astoria though."

"Oh yeah, they're probably not gonna like you two, considering...y'know."

"You should be good though. You weren't in any well known gangs or anything."

Olie nodded as they walked up the stairs.

"Right...but I don't think I'm fully in the clear either. I doubt what Alejandra did to the old top set was good and...they might not see me as a good replacement." She shrugged her shoulders.

"You'll be fine. Promise." Irene gave her a reassuring smile as they reached the top of the steps.

Olie returned the smile and Irene shut the door behind them. They walked towards the foyer where they heard several voices talking.

"...stop it, you guys better hope one of my girlfriends don't see this, what are they gonna think?" Malakai's voice became distinguishable through the noise.

"Oh come on, dude. They won't mind! Plus, we're not doin' anything bad." A second voice replied, sounding unphased.

"Yeah, Malakai, I'm suuure they won't mind if I-." A third voice drawled.

"Don't you fuckin' da-" Malakai broke off with a strained grunt.

Irene exchanged glances with Olie and speed walked into the foyer, bracing herself for whatever she might see.

She wasn't prepared.

Malakai was half bent over, laughing loudly as a girl was perched on his back, gripping his shoulders as she tried not to fall off. Her hair was a pale red color, her eyes were a piercing blue-violet, and freckles dotted her face.

Malakai straightened up and she slid off his back, patting him on the head. She was a few inches taller than him.

A few paces away stood another person, silently laughing at the two. Their eyes were a warm amber color, contrasting nicely against their faintly freckled dark skin. Their hair was silver.

"Tuz, shut up." Malakai shoved them, although he was grinning.

"You two are so stupid, you're gonna be the death of me." They snorted, throwing an arm around Malakai's shoulder. They stood in between Malakai and the red haired girls height.

"You love us." The girl shouldered her way in between the two, straightening the black SnapBack on her head before throwing an arm around both of them.

"Psh, yeah I do." Tuz grinned.

Irene cleared her throat and the three paused, slowly turning towards her. Tux's grin faded and snapped to a serious one, scanning Irene and Olie over in less than a second.

"Malakai, mind introducing us to your friends?" Irene smiled at Tuz and the girl.

"Friends? We're more like his siblings." The girl snorted, shoving Malakai away playfully. He stumbled and glared at her.

"Right. Olie, Irene. This is Tuz and Friso. Guys, these are my girlfriends, Olie and Irene." He gestured to them both.

"Nice to meet you both." Tuz nodded to them.

"Yeah, Mal talks about you all the time." Friso gave him a smug grin as he glared at her. "Where's the third girl though? Astoria?" She looked around.

"Right here." The five looked up at a new voice. Astoria smiled at everyone as she descended the stairs.

"Pleasure to meet you both, Tuz and Friso, right?" She offered them both a hand to shake. They both shook her hands after a moment of hesitation.

"Yeah. That's us." Tuz nodded.

Alejandra strode into the room, running her fingers through her dark hair. "The meetings starting. Come on, we're waiting on you all. Malakai, fix your clothes, you look like a street rat." She grabbed her son as he walked past and began messing with his clothes.

"Wh- _mom."_ Malakai glared at her, looking embarrassed.

"Shh. Let me help you." Alejandra waved everyone else off as she continued fussing over Malakai.

Tuz led the way through the kitchen to the dining room. They disappeared through the large entryway with Friso at their heels.

Irene paused as she heard voices coming from the room, suddenly realizing said room was filled with people that most likely hated her existence.

She glanced behind her at Astoria and saw her fidgeting before taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes. Olie glanced between the two silently.

Alejandra appeared again, Malakai walking next to her, looking carefully neutral.

"You're still out here? Come on." Alejandra glanced over them before walking into the room. Malakai gave them a questioning glance as he brushed past.

Irene took a deep breath and steeled her nerves, entering the room after them. The low buzz of conversation ceased when Alejandra entered the room, rendering it completely silent. The noise immediately returned, louder this time as Irene stepped into the room. The noise increased as Astoria stepped after her.

"No fuckin' way...they're both really here..."

"This has to be some kinda joke or setup, I mean really..."

"Has she lost her damn mind? That girls father is responsible for Matteo's death!"

Irene ignored the comments as she followed Alejandra to the head of the table. Two empty seats sat there, Alejandra and Malakai both sat in them. Irene sat on the single empty chair on the right side of the table, next to Tuz, while Olie and Astoria walked to the left side, sitting across from her.

Alejandra gave a piercing glare to every person talking, immediately silencing them.

"I'll skip the formalities. As you're all aware, there have been many changes around Fedeltá's hierarchy in the past year. Firstly, I'd like to welcome our newest set leader, Tuz." She gave them a curt nod as a low applause rang out from the table. Tuz dipped their head.

"Thank you, Alejandra."

Alejandra nodded once. "In addition to that, I'm sure you've all noticed our top set was replaced by these three." She gestured to Olie, Astoria, and Irene.

"You're all well aware of who Irene and Astoria are and I understand your reasons for concern. But I need you all to trust my decision and trust that they've joined us for our benefit. You and I both know these two wouldn't just join our gang for no reason-"

"Yeah, the reason they joined is because they wanna fuck us up from the inside out!" A voice interrupted. Irene turned to see a man getting to his feet at the end of the table. He was tall with a hard face, matching with his muscular structure.

"Connor. Sit down." Alejandra said sharply.

"We are sitting in a room with two people who have actively tried to murder us. She's even succeeded in whacking an entire set! _My_ set!" He pointed at Astoria, slamming his fist onto the table.

"And her! Her father murdered Matteo right in front of you two! How are you allowing them to live, let alone join our gang?" He stared at Malakai and Alejandra with fury.

"Are you done yelling like an angry child?" Malakai spoke up, sounding like he was barely containing his anger.

"Angry ch-I'm almost three times your fuckin' age. I've been servin' this fuckin' gang since your father was a kid. I have every goddamn right to be mad, my set was killed, my leader murdered and what do we do? Fuckin' nothin' and now we're letting the people responsible for that walk right in 'ere like they own the place!" Connor spat.

"Connor. I'll give you one last chance to calm down, sit down, and shut your mouth." Alejandra's voice was dangerously cold.

Connor stared at her for several seconds before slowly sitting down, a vein twitching on his forehead.

"Any other outbursts before we continue?" Alejandra said drily, staring around the table. Silence greeted her words and she nodded, a small fake smirk crossing her face.

"Good. Now, as I was saying. These two have certain...ties in place that will ensure they won't betray this gang. On top of that, what reason would they have to go back to their gangs? Astoria left the Ultio's years ago and Irene left after being betrayed and shot by her own boyfriend. Why would she go back now when Lloyd's father is the new leader of the Banda's?" Alejandra spoke calmly, her gaze steadily staring across at Connor despite her words clearly addressing the whole room.

Connor's expression didn't change once during her speech, but he stayed silent.

"We've seen the sheer level of skill these two possess. Astoria and her brother didn't rule over the entirety of Los Angeles and the west coast for no reason. Irene's been in countless shootouts and battles with us and has somehow managed to come away unscathed every time. I know it won't be easy to trust these two but I wholeheartedly do. Their skill will be valued greatly on our side and will be a large help in getting revenge for Matteo."

Alejandra fell silent, letting her words sink in. At the mention of Matteo several disgruntled people began nodding, relaxing slightly.

_Alejandra knows how to make a convincing argument with just a few words..._

"That being said, we have more pressing matters at hand. The Banda's are getting bolder and straying into our territory more and more. We've been attacked countless times on our own land." She turned to Malakai pointedly.

"The Banda's need to be taught a lesson. Last night, Lloyd himself attacked me on our land. He attempted to kill me but only succeeded in giving me a few cuts. I'm sure you're all aware by now what they did to Quantum. They've permanently crippled him in one of the most brutal ways possible and then left him for dead. Luckily he's okay now, but what they're doing is unacceptable." Malakai spoke.

Irene raised an eyebrow at the way he spoke but saved any comments on it for after the meeting.

"Ah, Malakai...you also forgot that they've kidnapped Alexandrite out of her own crib." Will suddenly spoke up suddenly from the end of the table.

Irene froze, remembering the text Alejandra sent them before everyone arrived at the mansion. _Don't say a word about Alexandrite to Malakai until after the meeting_. Apparently Will hadn't gotten the text.

Alejandra looked like she was going to jump over the table and rip Will to shreds as Malakai's entire demeanor changed.

"I... _what?"_ He slowly stood up, giving Will an incredulous look. Will's eyes widened and he glanced between Alejandra and Malakai.

"Oh, he doesn't...he wasn't supposed to...oh shit."


	25. Chapter XXV: Astoria

_Astoria winced at Malakai's expression. He stayed quiet and slowly sat down as the meeting continued._

Alejandra had quickly grabbed him and spoken rapidly in his ear before he could do anything. She cleared her throat and turned back to everyone at the table.

"Right, yes...on top of that. The Banda's have broken into my home and kidnapped my daughter. That is a new low, to force a baby into all this madness. They're out of line and I will no longer stand for it. We've been preparing since Matteo's death for a moment to strike and put the Banda's in their place once and for all. This is our city, not theirs." Alejandra spoke, her eyes like steel.

Nods and mumbles of agreement arose from around the table.

"Beginning at the end of the meeting, patrols around the city will be doubled. Any recognizable Banda member seen on our territory will be killed on the spot, no questions asked. We will do this until our territory is free of those rats. After we clear our territory, we will launch an all out attack on their territory from all sides. They won't know what hit them. I'll be going over specifics after we've run the Banda's off our side." Alejandra continued.

Another wave of acknowledgement swept around the table. "You are all dismissed except Tuz and Friso, I'd like to speak to you two for a moment about adding members into your set. And Will, I'd like to speak to you for a moment too."

The set leaders stood out of their chairs and gradually left the room, Connor shot Astoria, Olie, and Irene a dark look before leaving.

"Right you two, Mikau and Riot were never formally given a set despite being in the gang for a while now, they just ran errands and such. You're familiar with them, right?" Alejandra turned to Friso and Tuz. They nodded.

"They'll be a part of your set along with Dane and Maximo, those two were recently recruited and are ready to join a set."

"Sounds good. Thank you Alejandra." Tuz nodded to her.

"Of course. You're both dismissed, I'll have your new set sent to your part of town and you may begin patrolling your part of the city." She dismissed the two with a wave of her hand. They left, nodding to Astoria as they walked past her.

Astoria slowly pushed her chair out and stood up, glancing around. Her gaze fell on Malakai who was clenching a glass of water tightly in his hand as he stared off into space.

She stood up and quickly walked over to him, prying the glass from his fingers and setting it on the table before grabbing his hand.

"Kai, snap out of it." She nudged him with her other hand. He inhaled sharply and shook his head.

"Astoria, she's gone."

"I-I know, Kai..." She swallowed, unsure of what to say.

"I should've been there for her, if I didn't go out last night and get fuckin' cut up by Lloyd none of this would've happened. She's _gone_ and they have her and I don't know what they're doing to her." His hand gripped hers tighter to the point of being painful but she didn't pull away.

"You couldn't have known they were going to steal her, none of us would've dreamed they would do something _that_ heartless, and-" She cut Malakai off with a look as he opened his mouth to argue.

"If they didn't do it last night they would've found another time to do it. Their plan was _very_ elaborate and thought out. It is _not_ your fault and there was nothing you or anyone could've done to prevent it." She said, staring him directly in the eyes. He took a slow breath and his posture slumped.

"Okay, yeah..." He turned towards his mom, his hand slipping free from Astoria's as he got to his feet.

Alejandra was glaring at Will and speaking to him furiously. Will was nodding every few seconds, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face.

Malakai waited until she finished talking and dismissed Will, who practically sprinted out of the room despite his injuries.

"What are we gonna do to get her back?" Malakai asked, not even greeting Alejandra.

Alejandra rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. "Nothing, yet. We need to-"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Alexandrite's kidnapped and you don't wanna do anything until when? We don't know where she is or what they're doing to her. We need to do _something_ to get her back." Malakai's voice shook slightly as he clearly fought to control his rage.

"Do _not_ interrupt me! As I was saying, we need to go forward with the plan first before blindly rushing into anything. We'll get her back from them when we invade their territory." Alejandra replied, beginning to walk out of the room.

Malakai stared after her, his expression indescribable. Irene and Olie walked over to Astoria and stood silently next to her, staring at Malakai with concern.

"Do you even care?" Malakai's voice came out low and soft. Alejandra froze in her tracks and slowly turned around.

"... _what?"_ Her voice was barely audible as she slowly stalked over to her son.

Malakai held his ground and stared back at her.

"I said, do you even care?"

"She's my daughter, of course I care that she's gone."

"Lemme rephrase. Do you care because you're worried about _her_ or are you worried because she's something _you_ don't want to lose? Like a lost toy."

"What the _fuck_ are you even saying? Do you think I see her more as property rather than my own daughter?" Alejandra spoke sharply.

"Yeah. I am. I..." Malakai faltered for a moment, glancing away. His confidence seemed to disappear for a moment before he turned back to his mother.

"You don't love us, mom. You see me and Alexandrite more as possessions rather than family, your own children. You only pretend to care about us for your own selfish reasons. _You don't see us as people._ You want me around because you have some sick, twisted image in your mind of a perfect family. Me leaving would interfere with that. You don't want me around because you actually care about me."

Alehandra trembled slightly, her breathing coming out louder as Malakai continued.

"Your daughter is _kidnapped_ by people who have murdered our members before your eyes countless times. Your own _husband_ was murdered by them. Your first reaction should be to get her back at all costs immediately. She's a defenseless baby who won't know what's happening around her. You have power around the entire country, and yet y-" _Smack!_

Malakai's head snapped to the side and he stumbled with the sheer force of the blow. Astoria watched, completely stunned as Alejandra grabbed Malakai by the jacket and threw him to the floor, using his stumble to off-balance him easily. She jumped on him and slammed her fist into his face.

Irene and Astoria started forward, snapping out of their stupor, but Olie beat them both to it. Olie lunged and slammed into Alejandra's side, tackling her off of Malakai.

In a second, her butterfly knife was out of her pocket and in her hand. She flipped the blade open and held it to Alejandra's neck, her breathing erratic, her other hand holding Alejandra's collar.

Malaki stumbled to his feet, holding his jaw. The room went dead silent for several seconds, everyone staring at Olie and Alejandra as they stared at each other, the only sound being their heavy breathing.

"Olie..."

Olie looked up at Malakai's voice, her wild expression fading slightly as she stared at him. His voice was faint and pleading.

"Just...Let her go...let's...let's go." He jerked his head towards the entryway slowly. Olie stared at him for several more seconds before turning back to Alejandra. Alejandra was staring at Olie with an expression Astoria had never seen on her face before. Fear.

Olie shut her eyes for a moment before she pulled the blade away in a flash, flicking it closed and shoving it back in her pocket. She released Alejandra and stood up, turning to Malakai.

Malakai relaxed slightly and jerked his head towards the entryway again before walking out of the room. Olie quickly walked after him, her fingers fidgeting as she stared pointedly at the carpet.

"I-uhh, bye." Astoria grabbed Irene and dragged her out of the room after Olie and Malakai.

Irene stumbled and glared at Astoria, who mumbled an apology out, staring after Malakai and Olie as they disappeared into the living room together.

"Should we give them some time alone...?" Irene asked hesitantly as they paused near the front door.

"I...we should probably go after them and if they want us to leave we will. I don't know if they're gonna have anything they want to talk about in private though..." Astoria replied, hesitating for a few moments before continuing to the living room. The room was empty and the door to the basement was ajar.

Astoria pulled open the door fully and quickly went down the stairs, glancing around.

"Which way do you think they went?" She glanced at the two entryways one either side of her.

"Probably this way, there's like, a mini gym down here and Kai works out when he's pissed or stressed." Irene walked through the left entryway.

"Hm...that's a good stress reliever." Astoria noted as she followed Irene.

"It is. Except when he pushes himself too hard and injures himself." Irene let out a small sigh.

"Is that a thing he does a lot?"

"Surprisingly, no. He...doesn't know his limits sometimes or ignores them for some reason. Probably pride. Most times he knows when to stop though." Irene led her through the large movie theater-like room.

"That's good." Astoria paused as she stared at the indoor pool.

"That's a goddamn _pool_."

"I know, they're on a different level of rich." Irene snorted, walking through the room and taking her jacket off again.

"Movie theater, gym, giant pool table, _indoor pool._ What's on the other side of this place? A golf course?" She strode after Irene.

"I wouldn't put it past them." Irene snorted, walking towards the open door at the end. Malakai and Olie's voices drifted from it.

"...not that easy. Yeah, I fuckin' hate everything she's done but...that's still my mom, I couldn't just...let you kill her..."

Irene paused for a moment before entering the room. Astoria walked after her.

Malakai and Olie barely glanced up as they entered the room. Malakai was sliding under the barbell on a bench press while Olie was sitting on a second bench, absentmindedly lifting a 20 pound weight in one hand.

"It's like my dad, y'know? I hated him, truly hated him but...it was still weird when he died." Malakai gripped the barbell and started lifting it. "It's been almost a year and...I still don't know how to feel about it." He spoke between lifts.

"I feel the same way about my dad." Irene spoke up, watching Malakai for a few seconds before glancing at a pull up bar.

"I hate conflicted feelings, they're annoying." She rubbed her hands together before lifting herself on the bar. "On the one hand, I've been restricted to gang life and all these awful things...because of my dad. He forced me into a shitty abusive relationship and...didn't do anything about it after finding out what Lloyd...did to me."

Her expression tightened up, either from strain or anger, possibly both. She eventually dropped down, breathing hard. Astoria glanced between the three of them. _Guess we're working out then. Alright._

She dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups as Irene continued talking.

"But he was the only family I had-I'm not mad at you for killing him Malakai." She said quickly as Malakai set the barbell on the rack and sat up, giving her a worried look.

"Do you...regret killing him?"

"No." Malakai shook his head and stood up, stretching his arms. "I don't regret killing someone who allowed you to get hurt so much and threw you into...this life."

"Too bad Lloyd's still around." Astoria spoke up from the floor.

"We'll get him soon enough." Olie said darkly, standing up to put the weight back on the rack.

"Yeah, my mom's plan better not take a long time..." Malakai muttered. Astoria paused and sat up.

"I don't think Lloyd or his father would allow Alexandrite to get hurt. They're awful people but even they wouldn't allow a baby to get hurt." Irene said after a moment.

Malakai nodded, not looking fully convinced. "I hope so...can't wait to smash the shit outta Lloyd's face." He slid to the floor across from Astoria before turning up to Irene.

"Hey Irene."

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Bet I can do twice as many push-ups as you." A cocky grin crossed Malakai's face.

"Please. I'd love to see it happen." Irene dropped to the floor across from him, a half smirk playing on her lips. Astoria slid away from the two and sat on a bench, watching them. Olie sat next to her as the two began teasing each other playfully.

"Hey Ast?" Olie said quietly after a moment, staring at the two fondly.

"Yeah?" Astoria replied, glancing away from the two.

"Do you...think we rushed into a relationship with them...?" Her voice came out even quieter.

Astoria thought for a moment. She had seen the two a lot back when she was the second leader of the Ultio's. She'd never spoken to them, run-ins with higher ups in the Banda's and Fedeltá's was uncommon due to them being across the country from each other. When there were meetings with them though, she only spoke to Matteo, Alejandra, and Niall.

She always thought the two were attractive in a sense, but that was where any positive feelings for the two ended at the time. She'd never spoken to them directly and had only seen them as enemies and rivals. There wasn't any way anything could come from it and she'd had no desire to even attempt to make conversation with the two.

But now, five years later, here she was.

"Well...I think so, yeah." She said slowly. "But it doesn't...feel like it. I've always felt like I knew them in a way, I saw them around a lot but never talked to them directly until...that night. I'd always thought they weren't people to be trusted no matter what, that they were evil. Turns out they're people just like me. Forced into a position we never truly wanted or had a choice in because of our parents. It's a little different of course because my parents passed away when me and Dara were twelve, leaving us to lead with shit help from mom and dads top guys." She paused as Malakai and Irene stood up.

"Hey, we're gonna go get some water before we start, you guys want anything?" Malakai asked.

"No thanks." Olie shook her head. Astoria did the same as Malakai turned to her.

"Okay, we'll be back in a minute." The two quickly left the room.

"Uh...where was I...? Oh yeah, uh, let me wrap it up. I didn't mean to tell you my life story all over again." Astoria laughed nervously.

"It's okay, I like hearing you ramble." Olie smiled at her and briefly set a hand over Astoria's.

Astoria returned the smile, ignoring the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Right, oh. So my point is, I quickly realized they're not different from myself and they're both...really great people. And it's not like we can't trust them, they could've killed us or left us to die countless times and they didn't. They actually care about us. So...maybe we did rush into a relationship with them but I don't think it's a bad thing. Especially with everything going on, I think we're all what we each other needs. No one else is going to understand what we're going through." Astoria finished.

Olie nodded. "I...yeah." She seemed a bit troubled still.

"What is it?" Astoria asked her worriedly. Olie shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing." The look melted away and she smiled brightly.

"I know you're lying." Astoria said softly. Olie crossed her arms and looked at the floor, smiling fading slightly.

"I'll tell you another time, just...not right now." She replied, scuffing her show against the black floor of the gym.

Astoria opened her mouth to reply when Irene and Malakai walked back into the room.

"Oh, do you guys wanna join us?" Irene asked as they both got on the floor.

"I did my fifteen push-ups, I'm done for the night." Astoria waves them off before turning to Olie, who was still staring at the floor.

"You should join them though." She nudged her with her elbow. Olie jumped, glancing around.

"Huh?"

"...you okay Ol?" Malakai gave her a worried look.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. What'd you guys want me to join?" She spoke extremely fast, a sign she was lying. Malakai and Irene exchanged glances before glancing at Astoria for an explanation. She shrugged helplessly. _Olie's only gonna open up if and when she wants to..._

"Um. Do you want to join me and Kai's push-up contest? It might be kinda fun with another person." Irene asked after a beat.

Olie glanced between the two for a long moment before standing up.

"Eh, fuck it. Why not?" She stood up, pulling her jacket off, leaving a t-shirt on under it. Irene untied her jacket from her waist and handed it off to Astoria. Malakai reached to take his own jacket off before abruptly stopping and shoving his hands in his pockets.

Astoria was confused before she remembered all the scars on his arms they saw the night Lloyd attacked him. _We still have to talk to him about that...add that to the list of things we have to talk about..._ She glanced at Irene and Olie's exposed arms, seeing the scattered scars on their skin, smaller and more infrequent than Malakai's, but still there nonetheless.

 _I wonder why he thinks we're gonna judge him...not like we don't have scars too..._ She rested her head in her palm and watched as the three got into push-up position, a competitive light in their eyes.

_For now I'm just gonna enjoy watching this...and make sure none of them hurt themselves..._


	26. Chapter 26

_Malakai stared into Irene's eyes as he lowered himself to the floor again in sync with her. Her eyes stared back at him defiantly._ Olie gave up after 25 and was sitting next to Astoria, nursing a cup of water.

"Do you guys maybe think...you should stop?" Astoria said, shifting in her seat.

"No." Malakai ground out as he raised himself up.

"What number are they on?" Olie asked, jumping and almost dropping her cup of water as Astoria exasperatedly laid down on the bench, laying her head on Olie's lap.

"73. I can't watch it anymore. Make sure they don't die or hurt themselves." She shut her eyes.

"Okay..." Olie started mumbling numbers under her breath as she watched the two, counting as Irene and Malakai continued.

"Feeling tired yet?" Malakai teased her.

"...no." Irene snapped, her arms were trembling as she lowered herself.

"Don't hurt yourself, seriously." He paused at the end of a rep. She glared at him for a moment before relenting and sitting up on her knees. She winced and shook her arms out.

"Fuck, I'm gonna be feeling that tomorrow..."

"What'd we get to?" Malakai turned to Olie.

"75." She answered, running her fingers through Astoria's hair, making her eyes flutter shut.

"That's it? Shit." Malakai looked down at the floor.

"What do you mean _that's it?_ " Astoria abruptly sat up, knocking Olie's cup out of her hand and making water spill over the two.

"Asttt." Olie groaned.

"Shit, sorry."

Irene let out a breathless laugh. "Okay. Let's get you two cleaned up and then we should take a nap, we haven't had proper sleep in way too long."

Olie and Astoria mumbled agreements and walked out of the room.

"Kai? You coming?" Irene turned to look down at him as he had made no moves to get off the floor.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be up in a few minutes, I'm just gonna get some more water." Malakai responded, standing up.

"Okay." Irene nodded and started walking out of the room. "Kai?" She paused at the door.

"Yeah?"

"Don't overwork yourself, or else." She gave him a stern look.

He snorted. "Or what? We just proved that I'm stronger than you."

"Shut up. I'm just tired. And you should be too, you're injured and didn't sleep last night." She turned around and glared at him, but it was tainted by concern.

"I'm fine, I think I had an adrenaline rush or something, and Quantum's healing's amazing." He shrugged her off.

"Kai...please." She stared at him seriously. He let out a long sigh.

"Alright, alright. I won't be down here too long anyway. I just wanna do a few things before I come up." He attempted to reassure her.

"Okay...I believe you. See you in a few minutes." She slowly turned away from him.

"See you." He walked to the opposite end of the room and opened another door. The room had a water cooler, a piano, an acoustic guitar, and an electric guitar stood on stands at the end of the room. Two chairs stood near the guitars and a couch was in front of the TV. Several discs in cases laid in the TV stand.

Malakai stared at them before grabbing a cup off the water cooler and filling it. He knelt down in front of the TV stand and looked at the discs slowly. Each disk had a date written on them. The last one was December 1st, 2019. The day before his father's death.

He stared at the discs for several moments before standing up and walking out of the room, drinking from his cup of water on the way.

 _Now's not the time to get wrapped up in that._ He finished his cup of water as he walked back into the gym. _What did we go until? 75? Better get that last 25 in...maybe I shouldn't though, my arms really hurt..._

 _Weak. You can do more than that. Pathetic._ He froze as he got to the floor. The voice in his head sounded unnervingly like his father.

_He's dead. He's not here...so why does it feel like he's still breathing down my neck every second? Maybe something deep down in me knows everything he said was right. He didn't lie like mom...he just made sure I wasn't weak...can't let myself get weak._

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused his attention on the end of his workout.

Malakai glanced at the time on his phone as he dragged himself up to his room. Well, he didn't really consider it his room anymore, considering how often he shared it with Irene, Olie, and Astoria, nowadays.

2:30 PM. He pocketed his phone and walked into his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He glanced at Irene and Astoria, who were passed out on his bed, Irene's arm wrapped tightly around Astoria's waist as she lay pressed against Astoria's back. Astoria's hair was partially over Irene's face, one hand covering Irene's while her other arm was thrown out, dangling slightly off Malakai's bed.

Olie was on her knees above them, her phone in her hand and her tongue poking out, eyes narrowed as she aimed to take a picture of the two. Malakai let out a small laugh and quietly walked over to her side of the bed, sitting on it and waiting as she took a picture.

She sat down and examined the photo closely before nodding her approval and shutting her phone off and sliding it under the pillows.

"Hi Kai." She whispered to him, laying down on his bed.

"Hey Ol." He replied, laying next to her.

"Are you tired? Those two passed out a few minutes after we came up here..." She jerked her head at Irene and Astoria, a smile on her lips.

"Not really..." He shrugged.

"You should at least take your jacket off..." Olie said hesitantly. Malakai stiffened up at her words.

"...it's okay. I'm used to having it on all the time, I'm not uncomfortable with it or nothin'." He tried to brush her off.

She stared at him for a long moment before reaching down and grabbing his hand, interlocking their fingers.

"Kai...do you...not take your jacket off because of your scars?"

Malakai's grip instinctively tightened on her hand, causing her to wince. He cursed and apologized before trying to release her hand. She tightened her grip as he tried to pull away and shook her head at him. He sighed and looked down.

"Sort of...yeah." He replied, keeping his gaze on his lap.

"But...why?" She asked him, looking down at their interlocked hands.

"I...can we talk about it when Astoria and Irene wake up? I know they want to know too and I'd rather not say it more than I have to..." He said softly, turning to meet her blue eyes.

She nodded slowly, briefly sinking her teeth into her lip. She laid back into his bed and grabbed his shoulder with her other hand, pushing him to lay down. He complied and laid next to her, staring up at the ceiling.

"You should sleep, you still need to recover more from last night..." Olie spoke up, turning on her side to look at him. He shook his head.

"I'm not tired..."

Olie sighed and rolled on her side, fully facing him so she could give him a tired glare. "Kai, please."

She reached up and started messing with his hair, making his eyes involuntarily flutter shut at the feeling. He jolted when he heard her snort and weakly glared at her.

"You should...sleep too..." He slurred out, suddenly aware of how tired he was. He grabbed Olie and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her like a teddy bear. She let out a small startled noise but quickly relaxed against him, pulling her arms around his sides.

"Okay, I'll...try to get some sleep, but you have to sleep too, okay?" She shifted back so she could look him in the eyes. He nodded slowly, relaxing again as she reached up and started messing with his hair again.

His eyes shut and he felt himself drift off into a dreamless sleep.

Malakai's eyes slowly opened. He moved to stretch his arms out before abruptly pausing as he realized Olie was curled up in them, fast asleep.

His mouth curled into a fond smile, leaning against his bed again. Olie mumbled something in her sleep and twitched, her fingers fluttering against his back.

He tightened his grip on her and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. His gaze trailed away to Astoria and Irene. Irene had shifted in her sleep and was now laying on her back, her lips slightly parted as she breathed deeply in her sleep.

Astoria's upper torso was draped across her. Astoria was awake, her chin resting on Irene's chest as she stared at the sheets, absentmindedly plucking at the edge of one of Kai's pillows. Irene's arm was wrapped around her waist, preventing Astoria from moving too much without jostling her.

Her green eyes eventually flicked up, noticing Malakai's gaze on hers. She gave him a small smile.

"Hey." She whispered, her gaze flicking to Olie.

"Hey." He echoed back at her, returning the smile lazily.

"Did you sleep good?" She asked him. He nodded slowly after a moment.

"Did you?"

"Yep." She replied softly. He studied her for a few seconds, making sure she wasn't lying so he wouldn't worry about her.

She held his gaze steadily and he relaxed, not finding anything amiss besides post-nap drowsiness. He reached over with the hand trapped under Olie's body, straining towards Astoria's hand.

She grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers, her gaze flicking over to them briefly, her gaze becoming thoughtful again.

 _Come to think of it...she's looked like she's had something on her mind lately...maybe it's nothing, there_ is _a lot going on right now...but still maybe I should..._

"Are you feeling better from those cuts?" Astoria spoke before he could question her.

"Yeah, Quantum's healing methods are magic, I swear. I heal so quick and it takes so much of the pain away."

She nodded, looking content with his response. "I know, he patched me and Irene up really quick after...you know, Lloyd..." She trailed off, her gaze darkening.

"Yeah." _My list of reasons to give Lloyd a slow, painful death grows every day._

He let himself fall into thought as Astoria's eyes fluttered shut again.

_Alexandrite...they have her. I don't care if it was his father's idea, or his or some random members. All I know is I'm getting her back from them. I'll kill any of them to get her back...especially Lloyd. He's just a monster, I don't think he can even be considered a damn human at this point._

His gaze shifted to Irene, his thoughts going to every bruise and cut he'd ever seen on her. _How many of those were from Lloyd...?_ He thought back to all the conversations they had about it.

_"What happened?"_

_They were sitting on top of a random building in the city, he was pretty sure it was a pizza place, but he didn't check. His attention was focused on a bruise on Irene's stomach, visible from the exposed flesh from between her c_ _rop top and leggings._

_He stepped closer and craned his neck to see in faint the lighting of a nearby streetlamp._ Were those...fingerprints...?

_Irene shrugged, pulling her jacket over it. "Got into a fight with my set and one of yours. Don't worry about it, you should've seen what I did to the other guy."_

_She smirked at him confidently. He didn't look up to meet her gaze, still fixated on the spot now covered by her jacket._

_"Hey, Kai. My eyes are up here." She leaned forward and nudged him with her elbow. He caught a slight waver in her voice as he met her gaze._

_"Which guy was it? What'd he look like?" He asked, fighting to keep urgency out of his voice._

_"Kai, you're acting like I've never been in a fight before. Come on, I can take care of myself perfectly fine." A defensive note trailed into her words._

_"Irene-"_

_"Kai. Drop it, okay? I'm fine, it was just a fight. I get into them all the time and you of all people can't lecture me about getting hurt in a fight. fighting is like...what you're known for and you know as well as I do you don't come away unscathed every time." She reached down and grabbed his hands._

_Her voice was more fond and amused at the end, but with a bit of desperation at the beginning. She was clearly eager to change the subject._

_He stared at her for a long moment._ Why am I so worried? She's right. Fights happen all the time with how we live and I've _seen_ her fight before. She's perfectly fine.

_She leaned down and pressed her forehead against his, expression softening._

_"I'm fine." She said softly, her voice barely above a whisper._

_He wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself._

_He believed her and didn't bring it up again for the rest of the night. After that night, he'd ask about her bruises but wouldn't pry when she brushed him off despite how much he wanted to._

_He couldn't shake the feeling there was more to it._

A thumb stroking the back of his knuckles brought him out of the memory. Astoria's eyes were open and looking at him worriedly. _I should've done more._

He opened his mouth to reassure her when a loud banging on his door sounded.

"Malakai! Get your lazy ass up, you gotta go patrol our part of the city. Make yourself useful." His mother's voice shouted through the door.

Malakai let out a long sigh as Irene jerked awake, her eyes flashing with panic before she got her surroundings, immediately relaxing.

"Be right out." He called back. He turned his attention to Olie, who was still asleep through the noise.

He glanced at Astoria and Irene, pushing away his thoughts against Lloyd, for now.

"Either of you wanna volunteer to try and wake her up?" He nodded at Olie.

"'M up. Your moms like a fucking megaphone. She could wake the dead with that shit..." Olie mumbled into his chest.

Malakai snorted, staring at his doorway as he thought of his mother. _Nope. Not gonna spiral into family thoughts._

"Yeah she's...something."


	27. Chapter XVII: Olie

_Olie yawned as Alejandra lectured her, Malakai, Irene, and Astoria. She would much rather_ be back in bed sleeping with the three of them but _no_.

She was stuck here with her boyfriend's abusive, crazy, drug-addicted mother getting lectured about what to do if they encountered an enemy on their territory and what not to do.

_Does she ever shut up? We're not children and I highly doubt these three don't know what to do in the area of patrols._

She tuned Alejandra out, quickly getting lost in thought, her gaze trailed over Malakai, Irene, and Astoria. Malakai looked like he was going to fall asleep standing up. Irene was staring straight at Alejandra with a dark expression, like she was imagining every way she could harm her. Astoria was messing with her grey and green dagger.

Olie looked away from the three, gazing towards the dining room, barely visible from her spot in the foyer and through the kitchen hallway.

She thought back to the meeting this morning. Connor's murderous look was burned into her head. She saw the similar looks from the other members at the table going between her, Astoria, and Olie.

Tuz and Friso were the only ones who looked like they didn't want to throw the three of them off a bridge for a quick buck.

At this point, she wasn't sure if she even _wanted_ the trust of the Fedeltá's. She certainly didn't trust any of them, they were all very clearly loyal to Matteo and Alejandra. They didn't seem too fond of Malakai either, based on the cold looks they gave him when they thought he wasn't looking.

She vaguely remembered Malakai mentioning that he wasn't as respected as Alejandra or Matteo, even after he took Matteo's place. They tolerated him because of who his parents were.

 _I don't understand any of this...how have they done this their whole lives...?_ Olie looked over the three again. Alejandra had finished speaking and was walking out of the room.

Irene shot towards the door and pulled it open, disappearing out of it as quick as possible.

"I thought she'd never stop talking." Astoria grumbled as they followed Irene to Alejandra's car.

"Yeah." Malakai agreed, pulling the keys out of his pocket and unlocking it. Irene opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.

They followed her into the car and Olie leaned her chin on her palm, staring out her window into the dark night. She tuned out the light conversation between Astoria, Irene, and Malakai, and got lost in thought again.

_I wonder what it was like when they were kids...were they always aware they were in a gang? Malakai said his father trained him for this as far as he could remember, were Irene and Astoria's parents doing the same thing?_

She glanced over at Astoria, who was glaring at her phone, her brow furrowed. She mumbled a curse and started typing rapidly. Olie tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion.

She kept staring until Astoria noticed and pocketed her phone, making the light disappear and shrouding Astoria's face in shadow, masking her expression.

"Who are you texting?" Olie asked her, not turning away.

"No one, don't worry about it." Astoria replied. Olie stared at her for several seconds more before sighting and turning back to her window.

Her mind wandered to how her and Astoria first met. Nothing special or extremely interesting, she was just a regular to the cafè Astoria worked at. They got to talking and boom, a few quick years later, they were moving in together.

She snorted at how normal her meeting with Astoria was compared to how she met Irene and Malakai in person. Being that she didn't immediately recognize Astoria as a former high-ranking gang member or feel like she was going to kill her at a moment's notice.

 _...actually, why_ did _Irene come over to us that day?_ She realized they'd never really talked about it. It wasn't a big deal, but now she was curious.

_I'll have to ask her later...I really feel like we never have enough time to talk, everything is so...chaotic, there's always something going on. Not to mention...the constant danger._

Against her will, her thoughts trailed to Malakai and Irene bursting into the car her and Astoria were hiding out in, the blood dripping out from Malakai's fingers. Then to Irene and Astoria's limp bodies the night they crashed the Banda's party. Finally, it settled on last night, seeing Malakai slumped against an alley wall, his jacket torn and his arms bloody. Not to mention, Quantum sitting across from him with a huge gash on his head and his legs _gone._

She shut her eyes briefly, teeth sinking into her lip. There were more times where she'd seen the three get hurt, they'd gotten into their fair share of shootouts and fights since her and Astoria joined the gang.

None of them were as severe as those three incidents though. _And yet..._

She looked between the three, Malakai was smirking in the rear view mirror, his eyes trained on the road as Astoria and Irene laughed at whatever he said.

_None of them seem bothered by it, that happened hours ago... Of course there's the worry for each other but...they get over it so quick and mostly pretend the wounds never happened. It's like it's..._ **_normal_ ** _for them._

Her hand instinctively slid into her pocket and she gripped the cool steel of her butterfly knife, running her thumb over the handle. She opened her eyes and controlled her breathing, not wanting anyone to hear it.

 _This is how it's always been for them...this sort of stuff_ is _their everyday lives. The killing, the violence, the constant fear of wondering if you're gonna get jumped or killed in the instant you leave your house..._

The car rolled into a familiar parking lot, next to a familiar silver truck and massive black van. The Chaos loomed above, bright and almost empty at this time at night.

_Is this what it's gonna be for the rest of my life? Having to worry about one of them getting killed everytime we leave our house? Seeing them get beaten, shot, and stabbed constantly...?_

She opened her door and quickly left the car, waiting as they followed her actions and headed towards the bar.

_Can I live like that?_

As the four stepped into the bar, Olie became aware she had no idea why they were there.

"Kai, this doesn't seem like a good time for drinks." She elbowed the taller man.

"Hah. Not here for drinks Ol, somethin' else." He flashed her a grin and walked over to the bar.

Riot was behind it, expertly sliding shots and glasses down the table to customers with his usual easygoing grin, being careful not to spill a drop of the liquid in the cups.

He turned his head in their direction and slowly pulled down his shades deliberately. Malakai jerked his head at him and Riot smiled the tiniest bit wider before snapping his shades back up.

He waved a gloved hand and Mikau appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He herded the last few customers out the door, ignoring their drunken protests, and locked it behind them.

"You two heard about your new set, right?" Malakai spoke as Mikau walked back over, standing next to Riot.

"Yes, we heard." Mikau replied in his quiet, low voice. His gaze scanned over Olie, Astoria and Irene and he offered them a small smile. Olie returned it and he turned back to Malakai as he kept talking.

"...better get ready, Tuz won't be happy if you're late." Riot nodded and stretched, waving Mikau along as he headed towards the employees only door in the dark hallway.

"Yeah, yeah. You guys are here for the armory before you go off, right?" He asked, opening the door and descending the stairs.

"Right. We just need vests, the flamethrower, a couple pistols just in case, y'know. Usual shit." Malakai said.

"Got'cha." Riot walked down the halls of the hospital-like basement of The Chaos. He poked his head into one of the rooms.

"Hey Quantum, how ya feelin'?" He called.

"Fine...I have a splitting headache though." Quantum replied. Olie peered over Riot's head as she found the source of Quantum's headache.

"Ohhh, I'm so tired from giving all that blood to Malakai." Alex groaned dramatically, laying on the hospital bed.

"I've told you to try and sleep or go home! But does anyone listen to me around here? _No!_ No one ever does!" Quantum snapped, wheeling over to her.

Alex raised her head and stared at everyone crowded in the door. Malakai immediately tried to hide behind the door frame but failed to hide his shoulders.

"Oh! Hey Malakai! You come to visit me?" Alex hopped off the bed, any traces of tiredness gone.

"Fuck no." Malakai scowled, glaring at her as she approached. She stopped a pace away from him, staring up at him slightly due to their small height difference.

She didn't seem undeterred or offended by his words, only giving him a smirk.

"It's okay, I know you're only lying because of... _certain_ people being here." She individually glared at Astoria, Olie, and Irene. Her gaze settled on Irene and Irene shot back her coldest glare. Alex quickly looked away, fear flashing in her eyes for a second, she swallowed audibly.

"I'm really not. I'm the shittiest liar in the entire city." Malakai crossed his arms. Quantum wheeled himself over.

"Okay, do you all need something?" He asked exasperatedly.

"No. They're here for armor 'n weapons and so are me and Mikau." Riot piped up.

"That's great, if that's it then...out! All of you! Stop crowding my lab! I have work to do!" Quantum glared at them all. Riot snorted and walked further down the hall. Mikau offered a wave to everyone before walking after him.

"Malakai. Get in here. Let me check your arms." Quantum grabbed him by the jacket and dragged him into the room. He pulled Malakai's jacket off down to his elbows impatiently when Malakai started protesting.

"Wh-stop stripping me!" He swatted Quantum off, looking scandalized.

"Wait no, please don't stop." Alex spoke up, smirking slightly. Astoria grabbed Irene's arm as she lunged for Alex, although she also looked annoyed. Olie stared up at the ceiling, casually pulling out her knife and snapping it open, twirling it between her fingers.

_Maybe...nah, Quantum doesn't need blood on his floors, that stuff's a bitch to clean up...and a body is a bit annoying to have laying around..._

While that was all happening, Malakai begrudgingly had taken off his jacket and was waiting as Quantum expertly redressed his wounds and bandaged him up again.

"Have you been stretching it?" He asked as he wrapped the biggest cut on Malakai's arm.

"...no?"

"Yes he has." Astoria said, her gaze on her and Irene's interlocked hands. Irene still looked pissed, but she was quickly calming down.

"What'd he do?" Quantum reached up and flicked Malakai on the forehead.

"Ow."

"Push-ups...many push-ups." Astoria replied, wincing a little.

"Why are you such an idiot? I don't get it! You were violently stabbed and slashed and the first thing you do is _push-ups?"_ Quantum finished wrapping the cuts and Malakai quickly put his jacket back on.

"I'm fine. Look, we have to go, bye Quantum." He hurriedly walked out of the room, down the hall where Riot and Mikau went. Quantum glared after him, mumbling under his breath.

Olie followed after him, Astoria and Irene following along with her. Malakai entered a room and Olie looked around once inside.

It was massive. Various guns laid up on racks in every inch of the room, from pistols, to AK-47's, to shotguns, to sniper rifles. Where there weren't guns, there were knives, daggers, switchblades, throwing knives. One wall was full of black vests in all sizes.

"Holy shit." She said quietly.

Irene eagerly walked over to an out of place looking gun after putting a vest on. Her flamethrower. She put it on over her vest, adjusting the small tanks on her back carefully.

"Alejandra insisted you two have pistols just in case." Malakai nodded to her and Astoria.

Alex wandered into the room and Malakai immediately started glaring at her.

"What are you doing in here?" He ground out.

She flashed him a wide smile, reaching up to grab a vest off the racks. She took her time replying as she put it on.

"Didn't you hear? I'm coming with you guys! Your mom said so!" She responded cheerfully.

Olie stared longingly at her knife, seeing Astoria stare at all the knives and guns with a homicidal look on her face out of the corner of her eye. She snorted at the ' _is she trying to have you murdered?'_ that flew from Irene's lips. Malakai looked like his life had just officially been declared over right before his eyes.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me..."


	28. Chapter XVIII: Irene

_ Irene let out a long sigh as she walked around the dimly lit streets of the rich neighborhood she was patrolling _ .

The top set was tasked with protecting the richest part of land the Fedeltá’s had control over. The high rises. 

She messed with her flamethrower, briefly wondering if she should get another flamethrower for her other hand.  _ That’d be fun...double fire… _ She’d have to talk to Quantum about it.

She stifled a yawn as she walked down the alley next to an expensive looking apartment complex, silently cursing at the rich people in the building.

She wasn’t fond of rich people, all the ones she’d met had been pompous assholes. 

_ Thump! Thump! Thump!  _ She jerked her head up as footsteps sounded above her. She looked up just in time to see a dark shape leaping over the gap in the alley and clinging to the fire escape.

“Kai?” She called.

“Yeah?” He responded, scrambling up the fire escape and peering over the edge of the building at her.

“Don’t be stupid.” She called, affection in her voice.

“I’m just showin’ Olie how it’s done!” He called back, looking up again. “C’mon, it’s easy! It’s a small gap and if you slip I’ll catch you.” 

Silence met his words and suddenly a second dark shape leaped over the gap, grabbing the fire escape and slowly climbing up it, cursing audibly.

“Good job Olie!” Irene said to her.

“Thanks,” She replied breathlessly, disappearing over the side of the building. Malakai disappeared after her and Irene heard their footsteps fading off as they kept patrolling from above.

Irene continued walking down the alley, scanning the streets as she made it to the other side. Astoria was walking down the street towards her, one hand wrapped around the hand of her dagger. 

“Anything off?” She asked her. Astoria shook her head.

“Nah, not a sign of anyone around here except us.” She shrugged.

“This is stupid, we have to stay out here all night for no reason. There’s  _ no one _ coming to deal here or anything like that.” Irene complained, walking in the opposite direction.

“I know, it’s dumb…” Astoria agreed, walking at her side. Irene sighed.

“Have you seen Alex in a while?” She glanced at Astoria, who shook her head.

“Nope, I think she’s on the street over though.” She jerked her head at an alleyway.

“Leaving her alone probably isn’t a good idea.” Irene noted.

“Yeah but...I don’t wanna be anywhere near her unless I have to be.” Astoria twirled her knife between her fingers.

“Hah. Me neither...she shouldn’t be able to do anything to any of us anyway. I’ll kick her ass if she tries anything.” She blew a flame into the air for emphasis.

Astoria nodded in agreement. “Yeah. She’s dead if she tries anything.”

“I really don’t get why Kai dated her in the first place, even if it was almost six years ago.” 

“Maybe she was different back then…? Wait no, he said she cheated on him, never mind. She’s always been a bitch, I guess.”

Irene laughed, making Astoria smile. “Yeah. Wish we knew the poor person she cheated on him with though…” 

“Someone very horny and very desperate, I bet.” 

“You’re probably r-“

“Desperate? No. Horny...hm, yes.” They both paused at the voice. Irene cringed in disgust and Astoria’s grip tightened on her knife.

“Didn’t need to know that.” Irene turned to face Alex.

“Well, I sort of had a right to say it, considering you’re both, y’know...talking about me behind my back.” Alex stalked closer to them, arms behind her back as she smirked.

“I can say that shit and worse to your face, you know.” Astoria replied, crossing her arms.

“Well aren’t you just sweet?” She stopped a few paces away from them and glanced around.

“Huh...you know…we’re alone…” She trailed her gaze around the buildings and over Astoria and Irene.

“If you think you can take both of us on, you’re out of your mind.” Irene snapped, putting her flamethrower into the large holster strapped to her thigh. She raised her fists defensively.

“Oh no, I’m too smart to take on  _ you _ two alone…” She walked up to the two with a smirk. 

Irene had to tense every muscle in her body to resist the urge to lean away or hit Alex as she stopped an inch away, brushing against her and Astoria.

“I was thinking we could do something a little less violent and a lot more...fun…” Her voice lowered to a much more suggestive tone.

Astoria leaped back as if Alex actively burned her, and Irene’s eyes widened before she shoved Alex back.

“You’re fucking  _ sick.”  _ She hissed, glaring at her murderously.

“Sick? Why’s that? You both clearly like women...I don’t see the problem.” She licked her lips, her expression morphing to an innocent one.

“Yeah,  _ women,  _ not whatever the hell you can be classed as.” Irene snapped back.

Astoria slowly walked back up to her side, looking disgusted.

“A succubus.”

“Yes! That.” Irene nodded to her. “That’s perfect.” 

“Aw, you guys are no fun.” Alex shut her eyes and stretched, making her shirt ride up. 

“Shouldn’t you be doing something...useful?” Irene asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well...you’re pretty useful. How about I do you?” Alex replied smugly, opening one eye.

“Wh-okay, fuck. No.” Astoria snapped and stepped forward towards Alex. 

“Aw, are you jealous? You can always join us, you know.” She tilted her head to the side.

“There’s not a single thing about you I’m jealous of.” 

“Hm...are you sure?” Alex tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“ _ Yes.”  _ Astoria’s fist twitched, as if she was resisting the urge to swing on Alex.  _ Me too…. _

“If you say so!” She shrugged. Alex dropped her hands to the sides with a sad sounding sigh.

“Well...since we’re not gonna be having any fun, I’ll just...continue on my way.” She started walking away from the two.

“Bitch.” Astoria glared after her before turning away and walking down the road. Irene walked after her.

“I don’t get it, she acts like she hates us but...what the fuck was that!?” Irene kicked a stray beer bottle and watched as it shattered against a brick wall.

“Maybe she’s just horny.” Astoria rubbed her face, looking tired.

Irene nodded slowly. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“And I don’t know if she  _ hates _ us...she just likes to piss us off and simultaneously flirt with Kai...I definitely hate her though, that’s for sure...” Astoria paused and glanced up, her brow furrowing.

Irene shot her a questioning look. Astoria shook her head after a few seconds, relaxing slightly.

“Nothing, probably just Kai and Olie.” She said, her hand reaching for her knife.

“What’d you hear?”

“Couple thuds and footsteps, probably them jumping from building to building.” Astoria reassured her. 

“Oh, okay. Yeah, I’m kinda worried one of them is gonna fall…” Irene glanced up at the tall buildings looming around them.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. The gaps between the buildings are small, there’s a very small chance they’ll fall, and they can catch eachother.”

Irene nodded.  _ Something’s off…  _ She looked around the streets. Alex was long gone. It was just her and Astoria in the dim lit street.

Astoria was looking around with her, pulling out her knife in one hand. Irene did the same with her flamethrower. It was deadly quiet.

“Ow!” Irene jerked as something sharp stabbed into her neck. She ripped it out and looked at the small dart.

She slowly raised her head to meet Astoria’s gaze as she felt fear rise within her. Astoria reached for her when a second dart flew from above and buried itself in her neck.

“Astoria, stay awake.” Irene said quickly as Astoria pulled out the dart. She could already feel the drug taking effect. She stumbled and Astoria caught her, looking worried but not tired. She gave her a once over before looking around frantically for the source of the darts.

“I’m fine, you’re the one who needs to stay aw-“ Two more darts buried themselves into Astoria, one in her neck and the other in her shoulder. 

She quickly lowered Irene to the floor and ripped them out. Astoria turned to the direction of the darts and tripped over herself, crashing to the floor. 

Irene watched as she struggled to get up before collapsing to the ground again. Her vision went dark.

  
  
  
  
  


_ Ow...my head… _ There was a loud ringing in her ears as she cracked open her eyes. Everything was too bright, too loud. Too much. She shut them again, wincing.

She slowly opened her eyes again. She was sitting in a room. The walls were concrete. She was laying on a clean mattress with a single sheet laying on it. The light came from a light in the ceiling. 

Irene slowly sat up, rubbing her head as a dull throbbing pounded harder in her head. She became aware of another person next to her.

She turned to face them and saw Malakai laying next to her, his long hair tangled over his face. His mouth was slightly open, drool and blood trailing down it. 

She worriedly brushed his hair out of his face and saw a red mark on his jaw, already beginning to bruise. He mumbled in his sleep, twitching occasionally.

_ Nightmare.  _ She quickly recognized. Nightmares weren’t uncommon for any of the four of them, happening quite frequently. Less frequent when they were cuddling, though. 

She watched him for a few seconds in case he snapped out of the nightmare on his own and kept sleeping peacefully. He started mumbling louder and fidgeting more violently. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

“Kai-“

He jerked when her fingers gripped him and his hands shot out, grabbing her wrists. Within seconds, he twisted sharply, keeping his hold on her wrists, sending her crashing on her back. He pinned her wrists as he sat up, breathing heavily, his expression panicked. 

She stared up at him for several seconds, eyes wide. She relaxed slowly and started laughing. “Well, hello to you too.” 

He stared at her for a second before releasing her and scrambling back. “Shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…do that.” He gestured to her. She sat up and smiled, showing him she wasn’t upset.

“It’s okay. Not the first time you’ve done that to me.” She smirked at him and laughed a little.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “How did y-“ He suddenly paused and looked around, realizing they weren’t in his room.

“Where...where are we?” He looked around the room with a growing look of worry. He reached to his waistband and patted it hurriedly, his gaze darkening when he found nothing.

“We’re in the underground bunker of the Banda’s. This is where my dad used to keep...prisoners…” She looked around again, shuddering slightly.

  
  
  
  
  
  


_ “Here, sweetie. Look here.” Niall led her down the dimly lit corridors of the bunker. She shuddered, looking at the metal bars of the cells. She was nine years old, and the dark basement scared her immensely. _

_ The Banda’s base was an abandoned prison at the edge of town. Unlike the luxury of Fedeltá’s members, the Banda’s lived wherever they could in the city in groups. Niall and his top members had fixed up the top floors to be suitable for living. The basement was kept as is. _

_ “See this man?” Her father continued, pointing into the cell. The man in the cell was on his knees, glaring at Niall with fiery yellow eyes. _

_ “This is Matteo Calhoun. Fedeltá's beloved leader.” Niall leaned against the bars of the cell. _

_ “How you feelin’ in there Matteo? Still feel like a king? You sure as fuck act like one in that castle you call a house, with your whore of a wife, your little prince and all your subjects. Each of them doing as you command like a bunch of  _ **_dogs._ ** _ ” Niall gripped the bars of the cell. _

_ Matteo’s gaze was murderous and he spat in Niall’s face, making him stumble back. “Fuck you. You wish you had what I had. Your wife left you, your gang is a bunch of low-life scum, followin’ ya because of yer promises of ta  _ good life _. Look around, Niall. You should’ve stayed with me. You could be living with all the money in the city but instead you’re  _ here.  _ An abandoned prison at the edge of the city. You’re a  _ **_rat._ ** _ ” _

_ Irene looked between the two men and stepped back as her father lunged at the bars. “ADONIS!” _

_ The tall, pale man with black hair and red-brown eyes standing at the end of the hall ran over. “Sir?” _

_ “Is your son here?” Niall didn’t take his eyes off Matteo. Matteo sneered at him. _

_ “Forcing your daughter down ‘ere not enough for ya? Need to fuck up another kids head too?” _

_ “Shut UP! I’m teaching them a lesson. That’s what you say to Malakai when you beat him senseless every night, isn’t it?”  _

_ Adonis slipped away for a few minutes as Niall and Matteo began going back and forth. _

_ “Shut the hell up. I’m raising my son to kill you  _ and  _ your little bastard, he needs to learn to take a beating.” Matteo jerked his head at Irene, making her finch. _

_ “You fuckin’ leave her outta this.” _

_ “Oh no, Niall. Our kids were in this game the moment they left the womb. There is no out for them.” Matteo grinned. _

_ Adonis walked back, a small child walking behind him. He waved to Irene, who slowly waved back. She didn’t like him or his father. They were weird. _

_ “Now...you two sit right here. I’m gonna show you how tough the great Fedeltá leader really is.” Adonis handed Niall two keys. _

_ Niall opened the bars and shut it behind him. He stepped over to Matteo and began unlocking the handcuffs on his wrists. _

_ “Sir, are you sure you want t-“ _

_ “Quiet!” Niall barked, shutting Adonis up. _

_ “Dad? Are they gonna fight…?” Lloyd spoke up as he slid next Irene. Adobe nodded, looking mildly worried. _

_ “Hell yeah! I hope Mr.Seymour pounds Matteo into a bloody pulp!” Lloyd said excitedly, watching as the two men began circling each other. _

_ Irene didn’t know what happened next. All she remembered was yelling and fighting and suddenly there was a gun aimed at her head. Her own father’s gun, held by the man she was raised to hate. Matteo Calhoun. _

_ “I’m not at the top of the city for no reason, Niall...remember when you were at the top with me and you challenged me? You will never win and you will  _ **_always_ ** _ be beneath me.” Matteo sighed, staring down at the bloody man on the floor, struggling to get up. He kicked him violently in the ribs, sending him crashing to the floor in a pool of his own blood. _

_ “Dad!” Irene stepped forward.  _ Click!  _ She recognized the sound of a gun’s safety being turned off as Matteo turned back to her.  _

_ “Move and I’ll paint the walls red with ya, kiddo.” He smirked at her. “I’m afraid you’re gonna have to come with me for a bit...just until I get outta here...I’m not low enough to kidnap kids.”  _

_ He looked at Adonis, his gaze darkening. _

_ “Unlike some people.” He raised the gun in the span of a millisecond and shot him in the eye, making him drop to the floor. He backhanded Lloyd with the back of the gun before he could react, and he crumpled to the floor. _

_ Irene stared on in horror. “Well...let’s go. I don’t got all day, Irene…Irene…” His yellow eyes bored into her own, gleaming with malice.  _

  
  
  
  
  


_ “Ir _ ene!” Two hands gripped her shoulders, a familiar pair of yellow eyes looking at her. She scrambled away from them before pausing. The eyes weren’t filled with malice, but concern.

“Are you okay? You spaced out and your breathing got really heavy…” Malakai said quickly, reaching for her slowly after a moment of hesitation. She swallowed when his hand came in contact with her jaw and relaxed.

“I...uh...I’m fine. Just...this place triggered a memory, that’s all.” She gave him a shaky smile.

“Oh...do you wanna talk about it…? Looks like we got some time to kill until...whatever happens.” He glanced at the bars of their cell.

“Yeah just...give me a minute.” She leaned forward into him, her eyes shutting as she wrapped her arms around him. He returned the hug, rubbing her back slowly.

_ Both of them are dead now...my dad killed Matteo and Malakai killed him...just like Matteo said...he also said that-  _ She immediately shut down her next thought without hesitation.

“Hey Kai?” She tightened her grip on him.

“Yeah?” He leaned back and looked at her, looking slightly less worried than before.

“I love you, okay?” 

“I love too.” His familiar smirk crossed his face and he pulled her back into the hug. 

_ Is this place gonna trigger any more blocked memories…? I don’t think I can handle that right now...or ever, for that matter... _


	29. Chapter XXIX: Malakai

_ Malakai yawned, leaning his wrists through the bars of the cell. He wasn’t sure what time it was, there weren’t any windows. _

He glanced down at Irene, who was laying on their mattress, fast asleep. The two agreed to take turns keeping watches while the other slept, just in case anything happened.

He looked around, his gaze landing on the guard next to his cell. He vaguely recognized him.

“Ay.” He poked the guard through the bars, making him jump.

“Wh-“

“You know where Astoria and Olie are?” He asked him. The guard gave him an incredulous look.

“That’s none of your business.” He crossed his arms and glared at Malakai.

“Kinda is, but whatever. I’ll find out eventually. Just forget about it.” He walked away from the guard and laid down next to Irene, being careful not to wake her.

He wasn’t sure how long she’d been sleeping for, there were no clocks or windows, and they’d taken his phone before he woke up.

They’d moved the mattress to the far corner of the small room, furthest away from the guard in an attempt at having some privacy. The guard didn’t comment on it, luckily.

Irene’s eyes eventually fluttered open and she yawned, stretching with a groan.

“Anything happen…?” She asked him, her voice cracking with sleep. He shook his head.

“Nothin’ interesting.” 

She nodded. “Are you tired?” She sat up and shivered slightly, rubbing her arms through her thin jacket.

“No. Are you cold?” He asked her, glancing at the thin sheet she had for warmth.

“Just a little, don’t worry about it.” She shrugged her shoulders. Malakai started taking his heavy leather jacket off and placed it around her shoulders.

“Kai, you’re only in a t-shirt, you’re gonna get cold.” She protested, beginning to slide it off. He leaned forward and held it in place.

“I don’t mind cold temperatures, it’s fine.” He insisted, giving her a look. She let out a long sigh.

“Okay...just for a bit though. Then I’m giving you your jacket back.” She said with an air of finality.

He nodded and glanced down, tensed up slightly as he looked at the scars on his arms.  _ Shit...I forgot… _

He looked up at the sound of keys and saw a guard standing at the front of the door to their cell. Astoria and Olie were behind him, handcuffs around their wrists.

The guard pushed them both in and leveled a gun at Irene’s head while the guard outside their cell entered the room.

“Don’t try anything. I’m gonna unlock your cuffs. One wrong move and she’s dead.” He grunted, unlocking their handcuffs. Malakai glared at the gun but didn’t say anything.

Both guards quickly left the room after Astoria and Olie were uncuffed. The door was shut and locked, the second guard walking away down the hall.

“Are you two okay?” Irene asked worriedly as the two tiredly walked over and sat down on the mattress. Astoria leaned over and dropped her chin on Malakai’s shoulder.

“Yeah. We were in a cell together for a bit and then that guy just came in and told us we were moving. No explanation, didn’t tell us  _ where _ we were going. Nothing...I’m happy about this though.” She smiled a little, Olie nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, it’s better we’re all together for...however long they keep us here.” She murmured, looking out at the bars.

Malakai and Irene nodded in agreement. “I wonder if anyone’s looking for us…” Irene said after a few beats of silence.

“Alejandra will be looking for us, I think...we’re too valuable to her agenda.” Malakai replied.

“That’s probably why they kidnapped us, they know we’re good bait for her.” Astoria added.

“How would they know that though…? Malakai’s self explanatory, but us? They shouldn’t have any knowledge of our status in the gang or our relationship with Alejandra. For all they know we could just be other members in the gang.” Olie spoke, confusion in her voice.

“Maybe because we were with him tonight they’d assume we’re high ranking members and have a connection with him, and by extension, Alejandra...and also, they probably saw me and wanted to grab me either for questioning or punishment for betrayal…” Irene muttered, fidgeting with her fingers.

Olie reached down and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers. “You’ll be alright with us here. No ones gonna hurt you or one of us.”

“Fuck no they won’t.” Astoria nodded

“Not a chance in hell.” Malakai narrowed his eyes.  _ They’ll have to kill us all first. _

Irene smiled a little. “Thanks guys…” She craned her neck and peered outside of their cell. “Did you guys happen to see Alex at all?” 

“Ew. No...why, are you worried about her?” Olie tilted her head to the side. Irene shook her head wildly.

“Oh hell no. Especially not after what she pulled with me and Astoria…” She glanced at Astoria, who cringed with a noise of disgust.

Malakai and Olie’s expressions sharpened. “What’d she do now?” Olie ground out through gritted teeth.

“Flirted, tried to get us both to...have sex with her. It was pretty gross, to be honest.” Irene sighed, shuddering slightly.

“She needs to keep it in her pants, god damn.” Malakai shook his head, feeling anger rise up in him at his ex-girlfriend. 

“I’m never gonna understand why you dated Alex in the first place, Kai.” Astoria shifted off his shoulder and laid down on the mattress, resting her head on his lap. 

Malakai scanned over the room briefly, feeling the fragile peace laying over it. It almost felt like they were back at home, talking normally on his bed. But instead all they had was a thin mattress with a thin sheet, four gray concrete walls, and a small light in the ceiling.

_ Might as well make the best of it while we can.  _ He turned his attention back to Astoria, clearing his throat.

“She was...not exactly  _ different _ when we dated. I was just...I was a 15 year old boy who saw a ‘hot’-“ He very clearly put air quotes over the word. “-girl who was saying everything I wanted to hear and being everything I felt I needed…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I was just blind to what she really was and how she was treating me. I eventually snapped out of it and...the final straw was when she cheated on me. I...I don’t love her anymore. At all, don’t even like her but…” He stares at the ground hard, refusing to add the unspoken  _ it still hurts.  _

Olie reached over and grabbed his hand with her free one. “It’s okay, she can’t hurt you like that anymore. She’s just a horny bitch. She doesn’t mean shit.”

Irene and Astoria made noises of agreement and he felt a smile cross his face. 

“Her dad...he doesn’t like me a lot, honestly. I don’t think he likes Alex much either though...he’s an idiot, I don’t really think he’s a bad person though. I think he’s disappointed in what Alex has become. He’s decent to me though, a lot nicer than most of the guys in our gang. Most of them wouldn’t care if I died.” He let out a humorless laugh.

“What’s up with that? You’d think people would respect you more considering how much they love your parents.” Astoria’s eyes flicked up to meet his.

“Everyone used to be nice to me when I was younger, actually. Once I started becoming a more active member in the gang though...it all changed. They all thought I was too soft and weak, not fit to be the future leader of the Fedeltá’s. My parents pretty much thought the same way and were vocal about it so they weren’t afraid of any backlash from either of them. I don’t want their respect anyways.” He quickly added before he could receive any sympathy or pity.

“Nearly everyone in the gang thinks like my parents, they respect my parents and would follow them and their beliefs to their deaths. I hate nearly everything my parents have done and stand for.” 

“That makes sense…” Irene said softly. “I felt the same way about my dad and my gang…” She paused, glancing at the guard standing outside their cell. The guard was staring in the opposite direction, sweeping his gaze over the halls and showing no indication he heard what she said.

“Almost everyone here respected me though and acted like they loved me. I hated it. They’re cold blooded murderers running around hurting people for their own greed. Sure, we’re on the poor side of things but...doesn’t mean we should kill and harm innocent people. Especially when a ton of people here blow that money on drugs. It’s wrong.” She finished, her expression hardening.

“All of this...it’s not worth it.” Astoria’s voice was barely above a whisper. “We never had a say in the matter, we were going to be raised into this world no matter what. My parents passed away when I was twelve, leaving me and Dara to lead and take care of our baby sister. We had help from higher ups but...I always feel like I never got a childhood. I was forced to grow up and kill and fight and was expected to be a leader just as cruel and ruthless as my parents were...I never wanted to be anything like them. For any reason...I’m glad I left. I still wonder if Dara would ever send people after me, but it’s been five years and…” She trailed off and swallowed, looking uncomfortable.

She cleared her throat. “And nothing. I’m here now...still in a gang, still forced to do a lot of shit I don’t want to, but...hey, at least I’m here with you guys.” She sat up slowly, rubbing her arms. “You guys get what it’s like, I...I never really felt that way with people before.” 

The four sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes.  _ Astoria escaped and ended up here...Irene sorta did the same, but mostly because my mom  _ forced  _ them here. Someone’s always forcing us to do something… _

He looked at Olie, seeing her staring at the mattress with a contemplative look on her face. She noticed him staring and quickly smiled at him reassuringly.  _ There’s something wrong...I just don’t know what. _

“After I get Alexandrite back I...I’m tired of all of this. The killing, the fighting, the fear...we’ve all been doing it our whole lives-“ Olie winced at his words, she caught herself quickly but Malakai still noticed it.”-it’s time we just...left it all and tried to live a somewhat normal life. After we get out of here we should just...leave. Even if it doesn’t last lon,g we can be away from all of this. Just try to live...normally. Money won’t be a problem, we just need a place to go.” Malakai said.

“Yeah...you’re right. Fuck all this, I...there’s no reason for us to stay in these gangs anymore. It’s worth whatever risk we have to take to leave and...it can’t be worse than the risks we have right now. We just need to get out of here safely and find a place and lay low for a long time.” Irene started smiling at the thought.

_ She’s right. I don’t care what my mom tries anymore. I’ve had enough of her controlling every aspect of my life. It’s time I made a choice.  _

“A peaceful life away from all of this sounds...unreal but really nice.” Astoria smiled wistfully.

“I think it’ll work if we just...work together. Quantum’ll probably have a good idea on how to get us out of here, he’s crazy smart. He’ll help us.” Olie spoke.

“Of course he will…” Malakai glanced at the cell they were imprisoned in.

“Until then...let’s try to figure out how to get out of here…”


	30. Chapter XXX: Astoria

_ Astoria jerked awake at a loud metallic clang and yelling. Next to her, Irene jerked awake, panic in her cerulean eyes as she reached  _ for a gun that wasn’t there.

“You ever fuckin’ say that shit to her or  _ anyone _ ever again I will rip you the fuck apart, you got me?” Malakai spat out, his voice low with rage.

Astoria scrambled to stand and took in the sight in front of her. Malakai was grabbing the guard standing outside their cell through the bars. He had pulled the guard flush against the bars by the shirt, his yellow eyes blazing with rage.

Olie was standing a pace next to him, her eyes wide with shock. “Kai-”

“You’re not...in any place to be…” The guard coughed, his arm was pinned uncomfortably in the gaps of the bars, the other awkwardly between his stomach and the cell door. “Making threats…”

“Yeah? Well guess who has who pinned right now, huh. Do something about it, fucker.” Malakai pushed him back only to slam him against the bars again.

Olie grabbed his shoulder. “Kai, stop, it’s not worth it. You’re gonna get in worse trouble, he’s not worth it. Just let him go.” She said quickly.

“Fuck no, you heard what he said Ol, he’s got no right to say that kind of  _ shit-“  _ he slammed the man against the bars again. “-to you. Or anyone for that matter. He needs to learn a  _ fucking-!”  _ Another slam. “-lesson!” The guard passed out as his head smacked against the bars. Malakai paused for a second.

“Well shit.” He shoved the guard back and his limp body slumped against the back wall. 

“Malakai, I can’t believe you just-you’re bleeding.” Olie grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her, grabbing his arm and looking at the bandages on his arm. 

“‘S fine. It’ll clot over or whatever.” He turned away and glared at the passed out guard on the floor.

“Kai, you can’t just...punch the people holding us captive!” Olie glared at him.

“What are they gonna do?  _ Put me in jail?”  _

“They might  _ hurt you.”  _

“He deserved it.”

“Do you normally just punch people when they say things you don’t like?”

“Yes.” Malakai responded immediately, Irene saying the same thing in unison with him, but much quieter. Astoria glanced at her as Olie and Malakai continued arguing.

Irene averted her gaze when Astoria turned to her. “What? He does.” Astoria sighed and turned back to Malakai and Olie’s argument.

“...how much trouble that’s gonna get you into,  _ how _ are you not dead!?” Olie’s voice raised in frustration.

Astoria stepped closer, preparing to break into their argument before it escalated.

“I don’t know! I’ve been doing it forever though and I’ve been fine, I really don’t see the big deal.” 

“Look at your arms! There’s probably more scars under your clothes, those are just the ones  _ we can see!  _ How is that okay to you!?” She furiously gestured to the scars on Malakai’s arms.

He looked down and his expression darkened as if he suddenly realized he wasn’t wearing his jacket. 

“Irene. Give me my jacket.” He said icily.

“Kai-“

“Give me. My jacket.” He interrupted her before she could fully protest. She walked over to him and shrugged the heavy jacket off her shoulders, handing it to him. He pulled it on and turned to face Olie. She briefly looked lost for words.

“It happens.” He said after several beats of them staring silently at each other. “I haven’t won every fight I’ve been in and...the results are worse for me then. I don’t stop fighting just because I get hurt and I won’t stop fighting because of it.” He finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

Olie slowly shook her head, taking a step away from him. “So that’s it then…? This...it’s just going to continue forever? You’re gonna keep throwing yourself into fight after fight despite the consequences?” Her gaze slid over to Irene and Astoria and she swallowed audibly.

“You’re used to it though, aren’t you? You’ve done it every day since...since forever. And...I know you say you want to leave, but...if you couldn’t, you’d be okay with it, wouldn’t you? You’d be okay getting hurt every day because it’s just...been a part of your lives as far back as you can remember. It’s just part of you now.” She took another step back, she turned to face Malakai directly, her blue eyes piercing his yellow ones. 

Malakai opened his mouth to say something but slowly shut it again. Astoria wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say.

Irene broke the silence hesitantly. “Olie we...it’s not like we  _ want _ to. We have to and always  _ have _ had to. It was expected of us, a position we couldn’t back out of or else...there’d be worse consequences for weakness.”

“Choosing fights isn’t weakness. You...you don’t need to fight  _ everyone  _ who says something bad or looks at you wrong.” She mostly seemed to be talking to Malakai at this point. 

He stared at her for a long moment before looking away, not having any way to counteract her argument.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the four until footsteps sounded down the hall, briefly halting for a moment before starting up again. 

“Well...I wonder what happened to him...must’ve gotten too close to the  _ guard dog. _ ” A familiar voice drawled. Lloyd appeared in front of their cell. 

Irene stepped away from him and backed up into Astoria, who grabbed her shoulders.

“Where’s Alexandrite?” Malakai lunged for the bars, gripping them tightly. 

“Who?” Lloyd cocked his head, looking genuinely confused.

“The baby, my sister.” 

“Baby...OH! Yeah, fuck if I know, man. I don’t keep track of babies, they’re annoying, and loud, and gross.” He shrugged, looking bored.

“Like you then?” Olie grumbled, turning her glare to Lloyd.

“Hah. No, I’m quite the opposite, ain’t that right Irene?” He smirked, slowly rolling his head to face her.

“No.” She snapped back, her teeth gritted.

“Aw, c’mon. You know you can still come back to me, we never really broke up in the first place…”

“We were never really  _ together  _ either. I dated you because I had to. Not because I was attracted to you in  _ any _ fucking way.” Irene raised her head to give Lloyd an intense glare.

Her words clearly struck a nerve as Lloyd’s demeanor shifted completely. The relaxed and lazy look on his face vanished, replaced by a furious and deadly one.

“You don’t mean that.”

“Yes I fucking do. Now do you need something with us or are you here to just be a bitch?” She walked over to stand face to face with him at the bars, making Malakai quickly move out of her way. 

Lloyd glared at her and she returned it evenly. “You’re a lying bitch and you know it. You’ve even lied to yourself.”

“Mhm. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Fuck off already.” She spat in his face.

“That’s it.” He lunged at the bars and whipped a key out from his pocket, jamming it into the lock and twisting it.

Olie, who was closest to Irene, ran over and grabbed her as she froze up, dragging her back as Lloyd flung the door open. 

Astoria charged him as he headed towards the two, but his fist slammed into her stomach, fast as lightning, and she doubled over. He backhanded her and she dropped to the floor, unbalanced.

She tried to stand up but quickly dropped to all fours as her head swam and she felt like vomiting.  _ Dammit…gotta get up… _

She glanced to the side, ringing in her ears blocking out distant yelling.  _ Did he hit me in the ear?  _ Malakai and Lloyd had ended up outside of the cell, grappling each other furiously. 

Olie was looking conflicted as she glanced between Irene, who had slumped against the concrete wall, a distant look in her eyes, and Astoria, who was still on the ground.

“Ast, can you hear me?” She walked over and dragged her next to Irene.

“Yeah...fuck...I’m dizzy…” She shut her eyes. “Go help Kai, I’ll stay with Irene and try to…help.” She gestured vaguely at the air.

Olie nodded and ran out of their cell. Astoria turned to Irene carefully.

“Irene, hey...snap out of it.” She nudged her shoulder and the distant look disappeared from her eyes at the contact. She jerked away, breathing heavily.

“Don’t touch m-Astoria?” Her gaze focused on her, concerned.

“What happened to your face? Did...Lloyd did this.” She reached up and gently cupped Astoria’s chin in one hand, delicately turning her head to the side. 

“You’re bleeding…” She said quietly, leaning closer to her. Astoria cleared her throat and looked away, trying to ignore a flush rising on her face.

“It’s nothing-oh shit.” She became aware of Malakai getting sick of wrestling Lloyd around and diving for his waist, picking him up and slamming him to the concrete floor. 

Olie stopped her circling of the two and stared for a few seconds, stunned. Malakai leaped on Lloyd as he laid there, disorientated.

Irene followed her gaze and shot to her feet, grabbing Astoria’s hand and hauling her to stand up.

“Ow...oh god, too quick…” She groaned, holding her stomach with one hand.

“Fuck, sorry Ast.” Irene wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her walk to the door of their cell.

Malakai was breathing heavily, staring down at Lloyd with a look of pure hatred. He raised his fist before pausing abruptly. He stared up at Olie as he hesitated, seemingly silently asking her a question.

“...for him, fuck everything I said. Kick his ass but save some for me.” She nodded to him and took a step back.

Malakai turned back to Lloyd with a grin and was greeted with a punch to the jaw. Lloyd has apparently recovered during those brief seconds.

“Gah! You fucker!” Malakai returned the punch, looking even more pissed off. He started slamming his fist into Lloyd’s face repeatedly, heavy thuds rising from every hit.

The guard passed out on the floor began coming to and stared at the scene with a look of horror. He yelped and began trying to stand up, making Malakai pause mid-punch at the noise.

“Oh shit, he’s awake.”

“What do we do? He’s gonna call back up!”

“Just fucking-!” Irene leaned Astoria against the cell bars before running over and straight up punching the man between the eyes. He dropped to the floor again, out cold.

Malakai let out an appreciative ‘ _ damn’  _ before resuming beating the bloody pulp that was now Lloyd’s head. 

“Okay, Kai, stop. Give me a turn, you’re gonna hurt your knuckles.” Olie grabbed his arm. 

“One more.” He shook her off and his fist shot forward, an audible  _ crack!  _ coming from when the hit landed.

“I think I broke his nose.” Malakai stated after a moment, looking at the funny angle Lloyd’s nose was now bent at.

“I think you’ve done that many times before.” Irene noted, walking forward to look at the damage.

“Yeah, you’re right, I have...wish I did more than that though. I didn’t kick his ass enough…” He drew his fist back again and Olie grabbed his arm with both hands.

“Give me a turn, dammit. He’s gonna he dead by the time you’re done with him and that’s not fucking fun at all.” She protested. 

“ _ C’mon.  _ One more hit for the road.” He countered, trying to shake her off his arm. 

“Actually...you guys should let Irene go next. It’s her ex...or whatever you call him.” Astoria slurred, lazily looking at the three of them.

“Okay. Yeah, she’s right Ol.” Malakai stood up and unclenched his fist, hissing as he did. Olie glared at him and walked over to the guard on the floor, picking up a half empty water bottle lying next to him.

“I swear, if there are cuts on your hand and it turns out that a lot of that blood  _ isn’t  _ Lloyd’s…” She grabbed Malakai’s hand and dumped the water on his knuckles.

Astoria turned her attention to Irene as she stood over Lloyd, looking at him with the same distant look as before, but this time it was more angry. She squatted and raised her fist.

_ Click.  _ “Ah...Irene...I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A vaguely familiar voice spoke. Astoria looked up to see a tall man standing at the end of the hall, an AK-47 cradled in his arms.  _ Adonis Yitzhaq...haven’t seen him for a while. _

“You’ll be excused for now. You and Astoria haven’t done anything wrong, for the most part. But...you two on the other hand...have caused a lot of noise down here and...I really don’t appreciate you beating up my son.” Adonis continued, looking at Olie and Malakai, who were both frozen.

“Olie, you’ll be coming with me, as for you...I had a special request for who’s going to deal with you, Malakai. Since she’s been such a big help with getting you four here seamlessly...I figured I’d grant her as much...don’t interfere.” He leveled the gun at Irene.

Adonis stepped to the side and Alex stepped out of the open door, a wild grin on her face as she walked down the hall, a massive black and purple knife held in one hand.

She laughed quietly as she grabbed Malakai’s shirt and dragged him down to her level, nearly crashing their foreheads together. Astoria tightened her grip on the bars, glancing at the gun aimed at Irene’s head. 

Alex smirked at Malakai as he swallowed audibly, staring her defiantly in the eyes.

“Hey Kai...we’re gonna have some  _ fun  _ together...don’t you miss playing with me?


	31. Chapter XXXI: Olie

_ Olie watched as Alex walked out of the basement, Malakai silently following after her. Adonis grabbed his shoulder as he passed. _

“Alex?” He called. Alex paused and poked her head in.

“Yes sir?” She asked, tilting her head to the side at an almost awkwardly looking angle.

“Make it hurt.” Adonis spoke. Olie could see Malakai tense up even from where she was standing. 

Alex giggled. “Oh I will! Don’t worry. Let’s go Kai!” She grabbed Malakai’s arm and yanked him out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

Adonis walked forward, lowering the gun in his hand as he approached.

“Irene, Irene…” He sighed, stopping in front of her. “Stand.” He waved her up. Irene glared at him from the floor, gaze murderous.

“I said,  _ stand.”  _ Adonis’s neutral demeanor changed and he grabbed Irene and yanked her to her feet. Astoria started forward and Adonis raised his gun to Olie’s head.

She froze, her teeth sinking far enough into her lip to draw blood.

“These are the people you left us for...the people who killed your father and countless others from our gang…do you have no loyalty? No care for the people who raised you and treated you with nothing but kindness, love, and respect-“

“You treated me well because of who my father was. If I was anyone else’s kid you would’ve treated me like shit. Even then I knew it was all forced.” She replied coldly.

Adonis stared at her, blinking slowly. “...You’re lucky I have use for you or else I’d end your life right here.” He grabbed her and shoved her into the cell, pushing Astoria in after her.

He locked the door and looked down at Lloyd. “A shame, my son. Beaten by a Calhoun...unacceptable. I failed at raising you, Niall would not be happy if he were here...” He sighed and shook his head.

“No matter. We have more important things to attend to...Olie, come with me.” He gestured for her to walk to the opposite end of the hall with one hand.

Olie moved to follow him, not wanting to test the man when he had a gun aimed at her.

She walked ahead of him, following his instructions as he led her to their destination. The place was very clean and patched up, especially for an abandoned prison.

Adonis directed her to a large dining room. The walls seemed to be made out of a square patterned chestnut wood rather than the concrete of the rest of the building. The floor also had a carpet over it, the carpet was a dark green collar. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling.

_ Wow...okay then. This room’s a lot different from the whole building. _

“Please, have a seat right there.” Adonis gestured to one of the pure white chairs at the side of the chair at the head of the table. She slowly sat down in it, mildly surprised by how comfortable the chairs were.

Adonis sat at the head of the cherrywood table and interlocked his fingers, resting his chin on them. “Are you hungry?” He asked her, his eyes boring into her soul.

“I...um…” She thought about it for a second, wondering if the hunger she felt was worth accepting food from Adonis. He stared at her patiently and she eventually nodded. “Yeah, I...I am.”

“Good, good. Dinner will be served soon, hopefully you like it. It’s chicken, mashed potatoes and…” He glances towards the entryway opposite to where they entered from, his brow furrows slightly. “Peas, I think. Simple meal.” His gaze returned to her and he gave her an almost-genuine smile.

She nodded in response and stared at the wooden table in front of her, keeping her hands carefully on her lap.  _ What does he want with me…? _

“I’d make small talk but...I already know everything I need to know about you, Olie. Firstly, let me just say you’re not in any trouble. While Lloyd is my son, he needs to learn some tact.” Adonis ran his finger over the wood table. “Antagonizing your enemies is only good when you have the advantage, he quite literally walked into the lion's den as a lamb. He was outnumbered and although he had certain... _ advantages,  _ he took a risk and paid for it. It’s a good lesson for him, thank you.”

_ That’s sick.  _ Olie breathed out through her nose as Adonis paused, deciding not to comment.  _ Eh, not surprising though…. _

“Now, Malakai on the other hand...I have a small idea of what’s happening to him right now.” Adonis let out a small bark of laughter and Olie felt her blood run cold. “Alex’s feelings for him are...a bit confusing, but I think it boils down to obsession, and maybe a primal lust for him. But she doesn’t  _ care  _ about him, clearly, seeing as how she’s hurt him and...well, what she’s doing right now to him-“

“What’s she doing to him?” The words flew out of Olie’s mouth before she could think to stop them and she turned to look Adonis directly in the eyes.

He stared at her for a long moment, his expression perfectly neutral, save for a small tilt of his eyebrows. “Well, she finally has him all to herself in years and she’s free to do whatever she pleases...but…” Olie gripped the edge of the table and watched as her knuckles lost all color. “Based on what she was saying, should Malakai find a way of escape, she’s going to make sure she finds a way he won’t be able to forget her.”

Olie swallowed silently, locking her gaze back on the table. Adonis stayed quiet for a few moments more, she could practically hear the small smirk on his face but refused to look at him.

Dinner arrived, two plates full of food placed in front of them with two large cups of water. Silverware rolled on cloth was placed on one side of the plates.

“Anything else you need, sir?” The man who served the food asked Adonis.

“No, thank you. You’re dismissed.” Adonis replies, unrolling the utensils.

“Thank you, sir.” The man left, giving Olie an odd look as he left the room.

She looked blankly at her plate, her appetite gone. Adonis began eating calmly, enjoying the food.

“Alex is a funny person, if I’m being honest...she flirts with anything that can walk and is quite selfish. She’ll do anything to benefit herself. Even if it means ratting out her own family and the people she’s been raised around...although, her father has been a great help too. Pretending like we took Alejandra’s youngest to make her reckless with fear and fuel activity against us…” Adonis spoke between bites and Olie raised her head at his words, confused.

“I...you guys didn’t take Alexandrite…?” She said slowly.

“Oh no. I’m not low enough to kidnap a baby, despite what your gang may think of me...I do have limits.” He cut into the chicken on his plate and ate it slowly. “Well... _ I  _ didn’t take the baby, at least. Will took her and mercifully sent her off to...somewhere. He then had the idea to trash the place and make it look like we did it. Even let some of my boys mess him up a bit to look convincing...he’s quite the actor, isn’t he?” Adonis hummed.

_ What the fuck, what the fuck, what the FUCK.  _ Olie felt like she was gonna throw up whatever was left in her stomach, if anything at all. Alex’s betrayal? Not surprising, but Will’s? She would’ve thought he was bound by fear of Alejandra and the fact he was Matteo’s right hand.   
  


_ Then again...I barely knew the guy...maybe he had something against Alejandra and Malakai... _

“So...you don’t know where she is?” She spoke slowly.

“Ah...not really. You see...part of that plan is working with the police to file accounts of child endangerment against Alejandra, granting them legal custody of her for now. From there, they can launch an investigation and...maybe they’ll find more than just her crimes against her own children. Maybe they’ll finally have undeniable proof of the crimes Fedeltá’s committed. Maybe they can arrest all, if not a majority of the gang and take it down…” 

He finished eating and sipped his drink, placing his knife and fork down onto his plate. He looked at Olie and his eyebrows lifted.

“Are you not hungry? Or is this food not to your liking?” He questioned her.

She swallowed again. “I’m not hungry.” She ignored the tiny flash of pride that came with her not stuttering or tripping over any words despite her nerves.

“Ah, shame...I’ll allow you to bring your food back to your cell. Wouldn’t want you starving to death on me...which reminds me, I also must feed Irene and Astoria…” His eyes darkened as he said their names but his expression quickly relaxed.

“Tell me Olie, why do you stay with the three of them?” He gave her an intent look, seeming genuinely curious to hear an answer from her.

“I’ve heard your conversations and seen your expressions, you’re not happy. Alex having access to the mansion and free roam of it allowed for me to have the place bugged.” He clarified when she gave him a shocked look. “You seem to feel...left out, funnily enough. The three of them can bond easily over the lives they’ve been raised in, experiences and all that. They can bond over something important to them, personal,  _ intimate.  _ It bothers you that you can’t bond over that with them, does it not?”

He tilted his head the slightest bit to the side and Olie kept her jaw clenched shut. 

“It baffles me, I really just don’t see why you stay with them. You’ve had no prior experience with gangs, nothing as small as even a drug deal in highschool, and yet, here you are. You’ve thrown away any chance at normal life for three...dangerous people. Why? You’ve had many chances to leave and you don’t take them. What could they possibly be giving you to make you want to stay? To fight for them, to  _ kill  _ for them, to lose a piece of your humanity for them. What could be worth that?” He leaned closer as she spoke.

For several seconds, Olie didn’t have an answer. She was still trying to process all the information given to her as well as his question.

When it all caught up together she had an answer. A single word popped into her head. A part of her was unsure, but she knew deep down it was right, she felt it.

She raised her head and looked Adonis in the eye. “Love.” She said simply.

Adonis’s eyes narrowed. “How  _ cliché.”  _ His voice turned venomous, the neutral tone and expression completely fading into one of malice. “Love is a distraction, an obstacle that gets in the way of people’s goals. People rely so heavily on the love of other people. People they can lose at  _ any _ mere second. It’s foolish to depend on something so variable. When people lose someone they love they absolutely fall apart. It’s not  _ worth it  _ to depend everything on  _ people. _ Of all people you choose to love, you choose three  _ nuisances  _ who are actively hunted by some  _ very _ dangerous people and have only survived this long out of sheer luck and could be killed at any second. You love  _ idiots.”  _ He spat out the words.

She held his gaze and let a smile come across her lips. She let out a laugh. “Yeah, but they’re  _ my _ idiots.” 

Adonis stared at her, his gaze unchanging. He leaned back in his chair and nodded slowly, his expression fading back to neutral.

“I see...I...understand. Well, thank you Olie. This dinner was wonderful. I’ll have you escorted to your new cell with your food.” He gave her a short smile and a woman walked into the room, an assault rifle cradled in her arms and a bullet proof vest over her body.

Olie stood up and didn’t even look at Adonis before picking up her plate and letting the woman lead her out of the room. 

She was put into a cell smaller than the one she shared with Irene, Malakai, and Astoria. The layout was the same, mattress with a sheet and light, concrete walls. She plopped down on the mattress and looked around. She didn’t have a guard outside her cell. 

_ Good.  _ She looked down at her food and wolfed it down, not caring if it was cold, her hunger kicking in again. She pushed the plate away when she finished and laid down on the mattress, messing with the silverware for a bit before putting it on the plate.

She stared up at the ceiling.  _ What now? How are we gonna get out of here…? Everyone’s probably fucking arrested by now! Maybe Alejandra will try to get the Banda’s taken down too…?  _ She sighed.  _ And then what? Another prison cell when the police get here and take us away too? _

She rolled on her stomach and stood up, walking over to the bars of her cell and leaning on them, resting her head against the cool metal.

_ God, what’s Alex doing to Malakai…? Would she kill him…? _ She shook her head and cleared the thoughts.  _ No. She wouldn’t. He’s gonna be fine...what about Irene and Astoria? Adonis seems to have some sort of history with them and Kai, which makes sense considering they’re all high up in the ranks and Irene was  _ in  _ the gang with him. He’s also the father of the dude she... _ **dated** ...

She started pacing, fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket as she did.

_ What abou-  _ “Meow.” She froze at the noise.  _ Was that…? No. I’m losing my mind.  _ She glanced around and saw nothing. She let out a long breath.

_ Great, now I’m hearing shit. I’m fucking losing it. Fucking fantastic.  _ She resumed her pacing.

“Meow.” She heard it again and ran to the edge of her cell, scanning the dimly lit hallway rapidly.

“Okay, two times now...a third would be nice...or maybe I’d be even crazier then-“ 

“Meowww.” It came in the direction opposite the way she was looking in and her head snapped around. She stared down, not believing what she was seeing.

On the floor, was a dark gray cat with mint green eyes that glowed in the dark lighting. He meowed again and walked over to her, weaving his way in between the bars and looking up at her.

She stared down at him for several more seconds. “Wh-a cat. There’s an actual cat here…” She looked around, almost wishing there was someone else to see this. “A cat in this shit hole.” 

The cat meowed again, his ears twitching. Olie slowly knelt down and reached a hand at the cat. He didn’t even sniff her hand before butting his head against her hand, purring softly.

“Uh...well, hi there...Catto…” She pet his head, smiling a little as he began purring. He didn’t seem to have any objections to her name.

She leaned back and sat on her mattress, pulling the cat onto her lap and continuing to pet him.

She looked out at the bars again. “Well...at least I’m not completely alone down here…”


	32. Chapter XXXII: Astoria

_ “Move your arm a little to the left...little more, yeah.” _

“If I do that, my arm’s gonna snap, Irene.” Astoria grunted out through gritted teeth. 

She was reaching through the bars of the cell, straining to snag the key underneath Lloyd’s unconscious body

“You’re almost there! Just a little more.”

“ _ Shit, ow.  _ Why don’t you try doing this and see if you can do a  _ little more?”  _ Astoria fired back.

“Can’t. Your arms are longer and fit through the bars better, they’re slimmer.” Irene shuffled, eyes locked on Lloyd’s body. 

“What’s that supposed to mean? You calling me noodle armed?”

“Yes  _ dear.  _ I am.” Came the heavily sarcastic response.

“Wow. Can’t believe you’d say that.” Astoria gritted her teeth and lunged forward the best she could with the side of her body and face pressed awkwardly against the bars. Metal brushed her finger tips and she grinned, sliding the key back to them quickly.

“Hah, I got it.” She looked at the key victoriously.

“Good job Ast.” Irene smiled at her, excitement in her eyes.

Astoria looked at her for a few moments before shoving Irene and making her land on her back with a yelp.

“That’s for calling me noodle armed.” She snorted, watching as she picked herself off the floor and returned to her swaying position.

“Oh yeah?” A competitive look shone in Irene’s eyes, reminding her of the same look she’d given Malakai a fee when they had a push-up competition. 

_ Maybe I shouldn’t challenge her considering she’s stubborn and very stro-nah fuck it.  _

As she opened her mouth to tease Irene, a person cleared their throat outside the bars of their cell, cutting off their playful banter before it could begin.

Astoria and Irene slowly turned to face the voice. Adonis stared at the two of them, looking unamused. Astoria shoved her hands into her hoodie, dropping the key there and praying he hadn’t seen it.

“...I brought food for you both.” He said calmly. “Don’t try anything funny, I-“ Lloyd let out a groan and his eyes opened, making Adonis pause and look down at him.

“Dad…? What happened?” His voice sounded odd, probably due to the swelling on his face and missing teeth.

“You got your ass smashed by Malakai.” Adonis said disdainfully. Malakai and Irene exchanged half proud half smug looks at the words. “Get up and ready your gun in case these two try anything.”

Lloyd sat up slowly and stumbled to his feet, leaning heavily against the cell bars and dry heaving. His face was near unrecognizable under the blood and swelling. He shakily pulled out his gun and aimed it at Astoria.

“Bitch…” He spat out, although the words came out more like ‘bith’. Adonis shot his son a glare as he opened the door and set the food into the cell.

“Shut up. Don’t you learn? Shit talking is what got you into  _ this.”  _ He gestured to Lloyd’s bloody face. “Mess in the first place.” He shut the door and locked it. 

Lloyd didn’t reply, shuffling after his father as the two walked away down the hall.

Irene and Astoria looked down at the plates given to them. “You think this food is poisoned?” Irene poked at the chicken with her fork. 

“I...I really don’t know. Are you ex gang-mates the kind of people to poison other people?” Astoria asked, looking at the food.

Irene thought for a moment. “Nah, they’re more...shoot and stab kind of people.” She said finally, lifting the chicken to her lips and taking a bite.

Astoria nodded. “Hah, good to know.” She scooped a forkful of mashed potatoes up and started eating.

“That was actually...pretty good.” Astoria admitted once they both finished eating and pushed away their plates. 

“Yeah, a little cold but eh, I’ll take it over nothing.” Irene nodded, messing with her silverware. “Think we should bring these butter knives with us when we break out?” Her voice was half-joking half-serious.

Astoria snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

Irene nodded and slipped the knife into her waist band.

“When are we going? You have the key.” 

Astoria hummed and stood up, walking over to the bars and looking down the halls the best she could.

“Not for a bit, there’s a guard coming down here for us.” She sighed and sat down on the mattress. Irene’s lip twitched into a frown and she sat next to her, glaring at the guard as she took up a position outside the door

She smirked at Irene. “Wow, Irene. Look at you, how you liking the cell? Was it worth it? Ditchin’ us for...people like  _ Astoria fuckin’ Rune _ .” Her eyes snapped to give Astoria an icy glare.

“Yeah. It was worth it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat, bitch.” Irene spat back.

“ _ Wow.  _ You haven’t changed a bit, have you?” The woman leaned against the bars.

Irene glared at her but didn’t offer her a response.

“Well, you’re a  _ dyke _ now, so...that’s new, at least.” She yawned.

“Fuck off, Lada.” Irene stood up and walked over to the bars, wrapping her hands around the bars tightly.

“Mm, can’t. Adonis’s orders...sadly he’s in charge now, y’know, since your boy toy killed  _ your _ dad.” Lada’s expression morphed from lazy and bored to cold and hard.

“Really fucking sick that getting in someone’s pants means more to you than your own father.”

“I wasn’t trying to get into his pants, for fucks sake! My dad was a goddamn  _ monster.  _ He...he doesn’t mean shit to me.” Irene tripped over her words and Astoria stood up, walking over to her.

“Don’t fucking lie, Irene. I don’t know what kind of shit him and the other two pulled on you but  _ you’re _ the real monster. You abandoned your father and all of us for  _ them.  _ Did all those years mean nothing to you!? We fought these people our  _ whole _ lives, how could you just join them in a heartbeat?” A note of pain crept into Lada’s voice.

“Because every single one of you, Matteo, my dad, Adonis, Lloyd…you’re all the same. I’m tired of being used and manipulated. At least in the Fedeltá’s I had people who  _ genuinely  _ cared about me. It didn’t matter who my dad was or what my status was. And  _ they  _ arent gonna use me or fuck me over. Unlike everyone in  _ this _ gang, my father included.” With that, Irene calmly turned around and walked away from Lada, grabbing Astoria’s arm on the way and dragging her to their mattress.

Astoria glanced behind her at Lada, seeing her back now turned to them, her fists clenched.

Astoria let out a small yelp as she was pulled down, tripping on the way and face planting onto Irene, knocking their foreheads together.

“Fuck, sorry Ast, I didn’t look and I didn’t think I pulled you down that hard.” Irene rubbed her forehead, giving her a worried look.

“It’s alright, it doesn’t hurt too bad…” Astoria replied, ignoring the throbbing pain blossoming in her head. She rolled off Irene and sat up slowly, leaning her back against the concrete wall.

Irene sat up with her, giving her a worried look. “Are you sure? I didn’t reopen that cut Lloyd gave you, did I?” 

“I’m fine, really.” Astoria waves her off, giving her a smile. Irene nodded after a moment and looked down at her hands.

“Are...you okay though? Being back here with Lloyd and everything…” Astoria trailed off, fidgeting with her fingers. 

Irene took a deep breath before grabbing her hand and interlocking their fingers. “It’s not easy, I won’t lie, stirring up some bad memories, but...you’re making it easier.” She nudged Astoria’s shoulder with her own, a small half-smile tugging on her lips.

Astoria smiled, turning her head slightly to look at Irene. “I haven’t even done anything.” She said, amusement in her voice.

“You’ve cared about me despite all my outbursts and emotional shit I’m dealing with, even...despite me being from a gang who’s literally tried to kill you and your family.” Irene spoke, her voice turning soft at the end, guilt creeping into her eyes.

Astoria squeezed her hand. “Look, all that stuff is in the past. You, me and Ka, we’re all in pretty similar situations. I don’t hold anything against him, and I don’t think he holds anything against either of us. It’s the same for you. The important thing is we’re moving past it all now.” 

Irene took another deep breath before nodding. “Okay, yeah...you’re right. But still, it’s just...pretty incredible, what’s happened over the past...several months. Everything changed, you know?” 

Astoria nodded and Irene continued. “I...I...despite what I said to Lada, I don’t know how to feel about my dad, honestly…”

“The ‘I should be glad he’s gone but he was still my dad’ feeling?”

“Yes. Exactly.” Irene spoke, her fingers tightening on Astoria’s hand.

“Same, but...I’m more happy my parents are gone. They did awful shit to my little sister and I  _ will _ never forgive them for that.” Astoria said darkly.

“Your sister...you have a sister?” Irene sounded confused.

“Yeah. Me and Dara did a pretty good job of keeping her out of all this, didn’t we?” She let a bitter smile cross her face.

“Younger sister, Dymera. She’s...ten now. Born two years before my parents passed away and yet she still got their bad side.” 

Irene released her hand and Astoria looked at her, confused until she slipped her arm between the concrete wall and Astoria’s back, arm sliding around her waist. 

Astoria briefly tensed up out of surprise before relaxing against Irene. “You...don’t have to say what they did to her. I think I get it.” 

Astoria nodded in acknowledgment. “Right, so...conflicted feelings about shitty abusive parents are normal, from my experience and from what I’ve heard Kai say about his dad.” 

“Hah...yeah. You’re right again...” Irene let out a small laugh, it faded along with the smile on her face.

“Of course I am.” 

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence and Astoria eventually shifted, dropping her head against Irene’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, reveling in the silence. 

“Ast?”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s get the fuck out of here. I’m tired of this place and seeing these guys again. They piss me off and I miss Kai and Olie.”

Astoria grinned and stood up. “Alright. Distract her and I’ll take care of the rest.” She said over her shoulder as she strode over to their guard.

Irene followed her and just as she reached a hand to poke Lada, she jumped, her hand flying to the now buzzing walkie talkie clipped to her belt.

“Yes sir?” She said into it. Her brow furrowed and she glared at it. “But sir, the prisoners-“

“Forget them! What are they gonna do? Walk out of the cell!? We’re under attack! I don’t know what the fuck happened with the police but those Fedeltá fuckers are here! Get up here now!” Adonis’s panicked voice came through the receiver.

“Yes sir.” Lada ground out through gritted teeth, glaring at them before she shot off down the hall.

Astoria and Irene stared at each other, not believing their luck. The door slamming loudly behind Lada knocked them both out of their stupor and Astoria whipped the key out of her pocket, jamming it into the lock and unlocking the door.

She whipped it open and stepped out of the cell, Irene right behind her.

“Okay, so...help is here. We have to find Kai and Olie.” Irene said quickly. “I think I know where Kai is but I don’t know where Olie is, at all.” She swallowed and shut her eyes briefly, looking extremely worried.

“What? What is it?” Astoria asked her.

“Based on Alex and Adonis’s words, they took Malakai to our soundproof room, it’s...where we interrogated people for information on enemy gangs and tortured them...” Irene opened her eyes.

“Oh fuck…”

“Look. You need to go to him and I’ll go find Olie. I’ll give you directions but I can’t risk you wandering around this place looking for Olie, I know this place like the back of my hand. It’s huge and you’ll get lost, I won’t.” Irene cut her off before she could protest at them splitting up.

“But-!”

Irene reached up and grabbed her shoulders. “We don’t have time, trust me. Help is here and we need to move before someone comes looking for us. This is our best bet. Who knows what’s happening to Olie and Kai right now.” 

Astoria stared at her for several seconds, internally arguing with herself. “I...okay. Okay. Let’s go.”

Irene nodded and rattled off directions to the room, Astoria repeated then back to her just to be sure.

“Okay, good. You should be able to get there just fine. I’ll come find you two once I get Olie...alright, good luck...don’t get hurt and don’t die.” 

Irene pulled back and turned to leave. “Irene, wait.” Astoria lunged and grabbed her wrist.

“Huh? What is it?” She turned around and Astoria hesitated for a moment.  _ Fuck it.  _

She grabbed Irene’s shoulders and leaned down quickly, kissing her on the lips. Irene tensed up for a moment before wrapping her arms around Astoria’s waist and returning the kiss.

Astoria pulled away reluctantly, knowing they didn’t have any more time.

“I love you.” She said breathlessly.

Irene started smiling and let out a small, quick laugh, looking giddy but trying not to show it.

“I-I love you too.” She grinned, her fingers fidgeting on Astoria’s waist. 

Astoria stepped back. “Let’s go save the other two people we love, yeah?” 

Irene nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination, her grin turning a little more cocky.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.”

  
  
  
  
  


_ Thump!  _ Astoria lunged and slammed her elbow into a Banda member's head before they realized she was there. They crumpled to the floor and she grabbed the knife strapped to his hip and the shotgun in his hands.

“Thanks for the shit.Bye.” She said to their unconscious body and continued following the directions Irene gave her. 

She looked around carefully, hearing yelling and gunshots distantly. An explosion shook the ceiling above her and she flinched.

_ Okay, I need to move faster.  _ She sped up until she was running, swerving around corners and darting down halls.

She reached a staircase and quickly ran down it. A dark hallway stood in front of her, a metal door with a black mirror for a window set at the top.

Astoria ran towards it and tried the door. It was locked. “Okay then.” She hefted the gun in her hands and aimed at the lock.

_ Bang!  _ The lock was blown off and she ripped the door open, quickly scanning the room and letting out a gasp. She spotted Malakai, slumped in a chair, his chin resting on his chest. 

His jacket was discarded next to him on the floor, he had long slashes trailing up his forearms and there was a bloody hole in his shirt, near his collarbone. 

She ran over to him, dropping the gun as she knelt next to the chair. She grabbed his head and lifted it.

“Kai, get u-“ She froze at the ragged bloody hole where his eye once was. There were small slashes around his eye socket, two slitting his eyebrow, one near the bridge of his nose. Most of the blood was clotted by now, but the right side of his face was covered in blood. His other eye was cloudy and dull, he stared right through her.

She immediately placed her hand on his chest, over his heart.  _ Please don’t be dead… _

She let out a shaky sigh as she felt his heartbeat against her palm, slow but steady.

“Okay...I’m gonna get you out of here, okay? We’re gonna go with Olie and Irene and this is all gonna be over. All of it. We’re all gonna be okay.” She said to him as she stood up. She slid one arm carefully under his knees.

_ Click.  _ “Oh hey Astoria!” Alex said cheerfully, holding a flintlock pistol to her head.

Astoria froze.  _ This fucking whore. _

“Did you really think I’d just let you take him away from me? Oh no, not yet...here. Back up a bit and we’ll talk.” Alex nudged her with the pistol and she slowly stood up, taking a few steps back.

Alex giggled and grabbed Malakai’s head by the hair, yanking his head back. Astoria stepped forward and Alex instead put the gun to his temple.

“Mm...I had a lot of fun…” Alex hummed, releasing his hair and trailing her finger down from his temple to his jawline.

“Every time you look at him, every time he sees his reflection...you’ll all think of me!” She smiled, turning to face Astoria and letting the gun fall away from his head as she gestured with her hands.

“You sick fucking  _ bitch.”  _ Astoria choked out, her voice tight with pure rage.

“I’ve been called that before, many times! By this one here! That’s what he said when he wasn’t yelling in pain.” She gripped Malakai’s chin.

“Now...enough talk. I could...kill you right here and be happy with Malakai…” She raised the gun to Astoria’s face.

“Or...we could fight hand to hand! Killing you so quick wouldn’t be very fun…I do want to see what the great ex-Ultio leader is made of.” Alex twirled the gun between her fingers.

“I think I’ll-“ Her walkie talkie buzzed and her expression soured. “One sec.”

She yanked it out of her waistband and held it up to her ear. “Yeah? What do you want?” She snapped.

“Don’t give me attitude, girl. Where the hell are you!? Alejandra’s slaughtering us all up here and we need all the help we can get! They caught us off guard.” Adonis yelled.

“Yeah...I don’t see how that’s my problem, y’see. I helped you so I could get Malakai and do what I wanted. Deal’s over buddy. I get Malakai, you got the other three. Just because they’ve escaped and your gang is getting killed doesn’t change anything.” She smiled.

“Alex, you better get up here or  _ I swear I will- _ WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’VE ESCA- _ “ _

“You’re. Ah. Breaking. Ah. Up. On. Ah. Me. Bye.” Alex threw the walkie talkie at the wall and it shattered into several pieces. 

She turned back to Astoria and grinned. “Well then! Let’s fi-“ 

Astoria rushed at her, full speed and swung at her head. Alex grunted and ducked.

“Rude. I wasnt even  _ ready!”  _ She accented the word with a punch towards Astoria’s ribs.

Astoria jerked her body to the side and kicked Alex in the stomach, making her stumble back.

“Oo! Fuck!” Alex spat out blood and stood up. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve.

Astoria rushed her again and slammed into her with her shoulder, sending Alex flying back. She hit the concrete wall with a crunch and a thud. She dropped to all fours, panting.

Astoria stormed over to her and knelt, punching her in the jaw as hard she could. She felt Alex’s teeth come loose under her fist and Alex dropped to the floor, with a gurgled yell.   
  
Astoria jumped on her and punched her all over her body, mostly her face. She finally grabbed her head by the hair and slammed it into the wall. Alex slumped to the floor and Astoria stood up.

She looked at her body for a few seconds before running back over to Malakai. She picked him up and shot out of the room, racing towards the stairs.

He let out a small groan, blinking slowly and she stopped, dropping to the floor and holding him, being careful of his wounds.

“Ast...I...I don’t feel good…” He mumbled out, staring at her blearily.

“It’s okay, you’ve lost a lot of blood. You’re gonna be fine, y-you’ve lost lots of blood before.” She gave him a shaky, weak smile.

“Is that...why I can’t see out of my right eye…?” He rasped out.

“I...yeah. Yeah, it is Kai.” She swallowed painfully.

“Okay...hey, Ast…?” His eye started shutting and she shook him awake.

“What? What is it Kai?” She said desperately.

“I love you, y’know? You came back for me...that’s nice…” He smiled at her.

“I love you too Kai, okay? W-we’re gonna go find Irene and Olie and we’re gonna be o-out of here and be free, okay?” She said shakily.

He nodded. “Hey...if I’m not up when we find them...tell them I love them and I said...heyyy…” His eye shut and he relaxed in her arms. 

She quickly checked his pulse again, panicking when she felt it fainted than before and stood up, ascending the stairs. Astoria took one final glance behind her.

Alex was still in that room and she had no idea if she was actually dead or not. She glanced down at Malakai again before gritting her teeth. It wasn’t with going back and checking.

_ I’ll come back for you sometime Alex, I swear. If you survive, I’ll be back and I  _ will  _ finish the job. _


	33. Chapter XXXIII: Irene

_ Irene panted heavily as she moved through the halls of her old home. Most of the  _ people inhabiting the place were currently fighting for their lives on the second floor. 

“Okay...where would he put Olie…? He wouldn’t keep her with him but where would he-“  _ Thump!  _ She slammed into someone.

“Irene? You’re back?” A vaguely familiar voice spoke. She looked at the man in front of her and nodded quickly, recognizing him as a member of her gang.

“Um...yeah! I’m...I’m back, yeah. Hey, can you hand me your gun? Adonis said I need one and I can’t find mine anywhere.” She smiled at him.

He nodded rapidly and went to hand her the gun before pausing. His gaze turned suspicious. “Hey...Wait a minute-“

Irene lunged and grabbed the gun, punching him in the face with one hand. He grunted and stumbled back and she aimed the gun at him.

“Leave.” She ordered. He looked between her and the gun before scrambling off past her and running down the hall.

Irene glanced at the gun and kept walking around the mansion.  _ That’s useful to have when...whatever’s happening upstairs is going on. _

She made her way down to the second basement of their building.  _ There’s a few jail cells down here...maybe she’s down here? _

She looked at each cell, spotting one with an open door. She ran over to it and looked into it, seeing nothing but a mattress and an empty plate.

_ Dammit...she’s not here. Where the hell did she go…?  _ She rubbed her temples with one hand before pausing as she noticed a blood splatter on the opposite end of the hall. The splatter was followed by a trail leading up the stairs.

_ Oh god. If it’s hers then… _ She ran over to it and leaned up the stairs. “Olie?” She called as she reached the top. 

Irene didn’t get a response, the blood trail continued down through a massive living room and she kept following it.

She was following the trial so intently she smacked into a coffee table with her hip and winced.  _ Ow. Fuck. _

She looked up and paused as her eyes landed on a medium sized picture frame sitting on the table. She picked it up and examined it, her eyes widening at it.

A tall woman with navy blue hair and pale skin stood in the picture, her expression cold. A man of the same height stood next to her, he had brown hair and cerulean blue eyes, his skin was pale, he was smiling. In front of them stood a girl around ten, slim and lanky with pale skin, cerulean eyes and navy blue hair, her expression worried. 

_ Dakini and Niall… _ She looked at both of her parents, and felt her eyes narrow. She raised the gun and fired at the frame. Glass shattered and flew everywhere, slicing her jawline. 

_ You brought your deaths along yourselves.  _ She left the room and kept looking for Olie.

The blood trail abruptly stopped by the kitchen and she raised her gun before entering the room. She looked around carefully and walked inside.

An arm suddenly wrapped around her neck from behind and dragged her down to a shorter person's level, making her awkwardly bend her knees and back. A knife pressed to her throat before the person gasped and released her, pushing her to stand.

“Oh, fuck. Irene? I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else and I was ready to kill you.” Olie said walking around her to look up at her worriedly.

Irene rubbed her throat, gasping for air. “I-it’s fine, are you okay? I saw the blood trail.” She looked Olie over quickly, seeing a hastily tied bandage around her middle, there was blood soaking through it.

“Oh god, what happened?” Irene reached for her before hesitating over the wound.

“I got hit with a stray bullet, don’t worry though. The other guy is all gone. Heh.” She smiled although it looked a little strained.

“Hey, there’s something in your jaw and you’re bleeding.” She changed the subject and stepped closer to Irene, craning her neck to look at the wound.

“It’s fine, just some glass.” She waved Olie off, more concerned about the bullet in Olie.

“Let me get it out, your jaws almost soaked with blood.” Olie replied, grabbing a towel from a kitchen drawer and wetting it under cold water. 

“Olie, you got shot. You should be worrying about that!” Irene protested, staring at her as she approached.

“I’m patched up, I’m fine. Now stop talking and moving your jaw.” Olie started plucking the glass from her face, making Irene jerk slightly in pain.

Olie’s hand slipped into hers and she interlocked their fingers, giving her hand a squeeze as Olie pulled out a particularly large piece of glass. 

Olie pulled away and dabbed at the spot with the towel, cleaning it before turning the towel on its clean side. She pressed it to the cuts, her other hand staying firmly in Irene’s.

“How’d you even get glass in your face like that?” She asked, her gaze turning to Irene.

Irene glanced away. “I...uh….saw a picture of my parents and I didn’t like seeing it...so I just…” She gestured to her gun on the floor and mimed making a shot.

Olie smiled a tiny bit and let out a small laugh. “Right, I see.” She nodded before her expression softened.

“Was it a bad photo?”

“No, not really...I just didn’t like seeing my parents. That’s what set me off.” She said quietly.

Olie nodded again, pulling away with the cloth and staring at her jaw for a few seconds before tossing the towel away.

“Where’s Kai and Ast?” She walked over to the corner of the room as she spoke.

“Not sure. I have one area I think they might be in, but they might’ve had to move from there and could be literally anywhere.” 

Olie nodded and tossed her something large. Her flamethrower. Irene broke into a grin and quickly put it on, hefting up the gun. 

“Found that and all our weapons. Looks like I gotta carry Kai’s pistol and Astoria’s knife for a bit…” Olie didn’t sound too mad about it. 

“Thanks Olie. I missed this…” She looked at her flamethrower happily. 

“You’re welcome. I missed my knife too…” She flicked it open and trailed her finger carefully over the blade, her eyes intently following the motion.

Irene followed her gaze until she snapped the blade closed and shoved it in her pocket.

“Okay. So...we should find Ast and Kai and get out of here.” She said, looking up to meet Irene’s eyes.

Irene nodded. “Right. Yeah let’s go.” She led the way out of the kitchen and headed towards the soundproof room her old gang used for interrogation.

Olie looked up at the sound of gunshots and yelling from above. “I wonder who’s winning up there...I don’t really think it matters at this point though.” She mused.

“Yeah. They’re both shitty in their own ways and now that we’re leaving it just doesn’t matter what happens to either of those bastards.”

“Kai might mind if something happens to his mom.” 

Irene sighed. “Right, but...it’d be better for him that way. He’ll finally be free from her after all these years of abuse.” 

“Yeah.” Olie nodded in agreement. “Maybe we should take her out ourselves if we see her…?” A small grin came across her face.

Irene laughed. “I mean, that sounds good to me.”

The two fell silent as footsteps headed towards them from the hall to their right. Irene ducked behind the wall and readied her flamethrower, jerking her head at Olie to get behind her. Olie switched her blade open and crouched behind her, peering around her legs, ready to attack.

Astoria appeared around the corner and jumped back with a yelp as Irene blew flames at her. “Oh  _ fuck!  _ Hey! I have a very injured person here and I’d  _ really  _ appreciate it if you didn’t burn me!” She said as she composed herself, adjusting the man in her arms.

Irene’s eyes widened and she ran over to Astoria, taking in Malakai’s prime form in her arms. “What happene-“

She broke off into pure silence as her eyes locked on the bloody hole where his eye once was. She heard Olie let out a horrified noise behind her. 

“What happened to him…?” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. She wanted to look away from the awful wound but couldn’t.

“Alex.” Astoria’s eyes darkened along with her expression. “I think I killed her but I’m not too sure. I didn’t check, I just needed to get out of there...get  _ him _ out of there.” She looked down at Malakai briefly.

“I almost hope you didn’t kill her so I can…” Irene trailed off, ripping her gaze away to glare at the wall behind Astoria.

“Me too. I’d  _ love _ to get my hands on her, fuck…” Olie muttered, swallowing audibly.

“I know. We need to get Kai to Quantum, a lot of his bleeding stopped but there’s still a lot and he might get an infection...wait, you don’t think he got any STD’s from her, do you?” Astoria suddenly looked worried.

“That’s not how that works, no.” Irene shook her head. “Knowing Alex though, she probably gave him  _ some _ disease.” She gave Malakai one more worried look before starting to lead the way out of the building.

“If he does have a disease, I hope Quantum has a cure for it.”

“It’s Quantum, he’ll probably have four  _ different  _ cures for it.” Olie let out a single snort, though it sounded forced.

“Oh, hey. Is that my knife?” Astoria asked, her voice sounding the tiniest bit excited.

“Yeah, I found all our weapons a bit before I found Irene...I’d give it back to you but…” Olie trailed off.

Irene shifted her focus from their voices to listening around for anyone wandering around the halls. She suddenly became painfully aware of how quiet it had become upstairs.

She picked up the pace, seeing two metal doors with small bullet proof windows come into view as they entered a small room. 

“There’s the exit. Let’s go.” She said over her shoulder to Olie and Astoria. She threw the doors open and stepped outside, the two following behind her.

“You...you checked him, right? He’s alive…?” Irene asked as she walked next to Astoria, looking at Malakai’s extremely pale skin worriedly. She couldn’t see his chest rising and falling due to the slight bobbing of his body as Astoria walked.

Astoria looked like she had a sarcastic response but held it back. “Yes. His pulse is faint, but it’s there…”

Malakai suddenly stirred in her arms, blinking tiredly and looking around. His eye landed on Irene and he weakly smiled.

“Ay, Irene...you’re here...and Olie too...hi there…” His voice was unsteady and slurred.

“Of course we’re here, Kai. Olie, call Riot’s phone, he’s probably here somewhere but doesn’t know we’re here. We need him to bring the van and get us out of here.” Irene shot Olie a glance before turning back to Malakai.

She walked closer and stood in front of him. Astoria glanced around worriedly, mumbling something about being out in the open.

“Hey Ast...you don’t have to tell them what I...what I asked you to, I can...do it myself now…” He looked up at Astoria and she nodded, briefly looking at him.

Olie walked up next to her, talking on the phone. “Uh, we’re by the...street lamp next to the building, yeah…”

Malakai looked at her patiently, seemingly waiting for her to get off the phone. Irene nudged her with her elbow and Olie waved her off, her brow furrowing as she continued talking to Riot.

“No, not  _ that _ bloody street lamp, the other one…” 

Malakai turned to Irene lazily. “Just in case anything happens...I wanted you to know I love you…” He turned to Olie, who had paused and slowly moved the phone away from her ear. She looked at Malakai, her eyes widening as she registered his words.

“And you too, I love you…” His smile widened slightly.

“Kai, I-I love you too.” Olie said before Irene could respond. Astoria turned away from the streets around them, still looking worried but turning to join the moment.

“In fact I, um...I love all three of y-“

_ Bang! Bang! Bang!  _ Blood spurred from Olie’s chest and stomach, her mouth filling with blood as she let out a choking noise and dropped to her knees, her expression stunned. She sunk to the floor on her knees and collapsed face first.

“ _ Merry fuckin’ Christmas…”  _ A voice sneered, sounding weak. Irene dropped down next to Olie, her breathing coming out in loud, panicked gasps as she rolled Olie onto her back. 

She looked up at the voice, seeing Adonis standing there, a wild grin on his face as he aimed the pistol at her, his hand shaking. Bloodstains splattered his clothes and face, making him look terrifying.

“No, Olie...no...Olie, get…” Irene’s eyes darted over to Astoria as she squatted next to her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Malakai had passed out in her arms again.

Adonis stepped towards them, the gun still aimed at Irene. She didn’t move, she was completely frozen.  _ I guess this is it… _

A car whipped around the corner of the building at full speed and shot towards Adonis. He turned around just as a navy blue Lamborghini slammed into him full force.


	34. Chapter XXXIV: Malakai

_ “ _ _ Malakai couldn't see anything. Everything was black, but he could hear voices around him.  _ Familiar voices. Two welcome, one not so much.

“Get in the fucking car. I’m not gonna tell you again. Those two are going to bleed out and die. I don’t care much for the girl but I’ll take _ my  _ son from you by  _ force _ if I have to.” Alejandra snapped.

“Fucking-fine! Come on Astoria, I’ll go in the trunk with Olie and you stay in the middle seat with Kai.” Irene’s agitated voice sounded to his right.

He would’ve smiled if he could.  _ Damn I love her… _ The thought was nice to think without feeling any guilt about Olie and Astoria now that he’d finally said it out loud to them.

_ Wish I said it sooner and under more...romantic circumstances.  _ He laughed in his head.  _ Gang wars aren’t exactly romantic… _

He felt his body get gently laid into the familiar leather seats of his mom's car, his head propped up on something softer than the seats.

He felt a hand running through his hair and relaxed, not minding how the person's hand trembled violently, tugging on his hair.

“...dead?”

“Double tapped him right after I got outta the car. Asshole is dead as well as a bunch of other Banda’s. We’re going back tomorrow to clean them up and finish the job.” Alejandra’s voice drifted into his ears.

_ Who’s dead…? I hope it’s Lloyd...maybe I killed him...heh, that’d be cool…  _ The voices faded away.

  
  
  
  
  


_ “Hey...Malakai...wake up…” His eyes slowly opened and he hissed, cringing at the light in the room. Alex let out a small giggle next to him. _

_ “Hey baby, how you feeling?” He felt her hand on his jaw and he jerked back, regretting the action as it hurt his head further. _

_ “Don’t call me that and don’t touch me.” He glared at her. He went to stand up before becoming painfully aware his hands were tied to the chair as well as his legs. _

_ “I’m afraid you don’t make the rules around here…” Alex laughed and straightened up, pacing around him, her gaze never once leaving him. She paused behind him and let out a sigh. _

_ “Oh Malakai...why do you fight me so much? I  _ know _ you miss me…” She stopped behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle from behind. He tensed up, the contact was familiar in the worst way possible _

_ “Miss you? Why the fuck would I miss you after  _ you  _ cheated on  _ me  _ with some random guy?” He spat back, craning his neck to give her a glare. He started straining against the rope around his wrists. _

_ “Oh, come on. It was  _ one  _ time...besides…” He let out a noise of strained shock when her hands dipped under his shirt and she placed her hands on his chest. She dragged her fingers down his stomach slowly, stopping at his waistband and dipping her thumbs under the top of his jeans.  _

_ “He had  _ nothing  _ on you, Malakai.” She dropped her head on his shoulder. He strained against the rope furiously, leaning away from her as far as he could, his arms shaking from the strain. _

_ “Get. The fuck. Away. From me.” He gasped out, suddenly aware of how heavy his breathing had become. Panic and disgust swirled in him. _

_ “Easy there, tiger. Don’t wanna hurt yourself...that’s my job.” Alex’s hands suddenly disappeared as she walked around and stood in front of him.  _

_ He stared at her, trying to control his breathing. “You had your fuckin’ chance with me years ago. Let it go. I will  _ never  _ get back with you.” _

_ Alex hummed and tapped her chin. “Mm...no. You see, I finally have you…” She slowly moved towards him. “Right where…” She sank down on his lap and he jolted, shoving himself back against the chair as far as he possibly could. “I want you…”  _

_ Malakai strained against his bounds again and felt the ones wrapped around his legs rip loose. He made no indication anything changed though as he continued straining against the ones on his wrists. _

_ “You struggle way too much, you just need to relax...maybe  _ blow  _ off some steam…” Her hands slid around his shoulders and she shifted on his lap, moving closer to him.“I have a question for you, Malakai…”  _

_ She leaned out of his field of view towards his ear. “Can  _ they  _ touch you like I do?” _

_ Malakai’s eyes widened in pure disbelief before the disbelief turned to pure rage. There was a sharp snapping sound as well as the splintering of wood as he ripped free of the ropes and broke the wood of one of the chair arms. _

_ He wasted no time shoving Alex off him violently and he stood up. He felt filthy and like he needed to take several long showers, but pushed that feeling aside as he lunged at Alex. _

_ “You’re  _ fucked.”  _ He spat out as she rolled to the side, making his hands slam against the concrete floor. _

_ “Mm, no. I’m not, sadly. Not too late for you to make that happen though.” He felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck and stood up. _

_ “You’re insane…” His vision swam and he stumbled.  _ What did she do…?

_ “Maybe…” She let out a disappointed sigh as he dropped to one knee. She knelt with him and gripped his chin. She grinned wildly. _

_ “Guess I’ll just have to find other ways of having fun with you.” She reached to her side with her other hand and pulled out her black and purple knife. _

_ “Sweet dreams Malakai. I can’t  _ wait _ for you to wake up.” He fell to his side and his vision went black. _

  
  
  
  
  


Malakai’s eye shot open with gasp and he sat up. He felt stuff attached to his chest and arms and was instantly reminded of rope. “No, no. Get it off. No no no.”

He panicked, his heart racing with panic and his breathing labored. He scrabbled at the stuff attached to his chest, trying to rip it off.

“Malakai! Stop it! Mikau! Hold him down!” Quantum’s panicked voice hit his ears, but he didn’t register it through his panic.

He felt his wrists get grabbed and forcefully pinned to his sides. “Malakai! Please, calm down.” Mikau’s voice sounded far away, sounding worried. He never raised his voice.

Malakai continued breathing heavily, looking around the room wildly in his panic. 

“Let me...let me go. I can’t...no…” He struggled again before laying there. He got his surroundings and relaxed. His breathing stayed heavy and his heart kept racing. Mikau released him and stepped back, giving him a worried look.

“W-what's happening? I-I feel like I’m having a heart attack…” He asked, turning his head to look at Quantum as he walked around the room.  _ Wait...but his legs… _

“New development I made. Basically it's an adrenaline boost that’s kick starting your body and sending it into overtime. It’ll make you heal quick as hell but it’s gonna suck for a bit. I’m just glad it worked…” He wrote furiously on a clipboard, glancing up at Malakai every few seconds.

“Wait, Quantum, why can’t I see out of my right eye-“

_ Malakai’s breathing was coming out in short, wheezing gasps as he clenched his fists around the arms of the chair. Pain ripped through the right side of his face as he felt Alex’s blade pressing in his skull. _

_ “..The blood flows down into A dark puddle...just move your hand, cut the way into his head…” She hummed to the tune of a song he vaguely recognized. The lyrics definitely weren’t right though. _

_ “GAAH!” A pained yell ripped its way out of his throat as her hand suddenly jerked. His vision went black in his right eye and his breathing quickened even more, trembling from pain. _

“Malakai.” Quantum gripped his shoulders, his mismatched violet and red-brown eyes staring at him worriedly.

_ I’m fine.  _ The words wouldn’t come out. He couldn’t even lie this time. He stared down at the sheets in front of him.

“I...I couldn’t salvage anything in your eye, Malakai, I’m sorry. It...it was completely gone, I had to do some surgery and take out what was left behind. You don’t have any infections anywhere, so that’s...good.” Quantum trailed off.

Malakai shook his head blankly. “Thanks Quantum.” He said quietly. He cleared his throat and looked up, mustering a fake smile. “So...you’re walkin’ now, huh?”

Quantum nodded and pulled up the pants leg of his jeans. “Yeah, I finished the prosthetics I was working on and they work great, it’s just like having legs again…” He let his jeans fall down and covered the prosthetic.

“That’s...that’s great Quantum.” Malakai looked down at his bare chest and arms, seeing electro pads on various parts of them and an IV needle sticking out of his wrist.

The door burst open and Malakai jumped. He relaxed when he saw Tuz and Friso walk into the room.

“I have to go check on other patients. There’s lots of people here after the battle...we’ll be back soon to check on you.” Quantum gave him a small smile before walking out of the room. Mikau patted Malakai on the shoulder and followed Quantum, shutting the door behind him.

“Hey, Mal. How are you feeling dude?” Friso asked, trying and failing to keep the worry out of her voice as she walked over to his bedside.

“I’m okay, this stuff is kinda weird though...I don’t feel like I’m having a heart attack anymore though, so that’s nice.” Malakai waved his hand around. 

Tuz glared at him. “You’re gonna dislodge the damn IV, stop moving.” They scolded, looking over everything hooked up to him. Despite their steady words, he could see they had many questions and were extremely worried.

“Not that I don’t  _ love _ seeing you both, why are you in here? Shouldn’t someone more...qualified be in here?” Malakai asked them.

“We’re the only people Quantum trusts to be with you in this state. He put all three of your girlfriends on guarded bed rest so they’re out of the picture.” Tuz replied.

“Are they okay?” He moved to sit up and Friso grabbed his shoulders, pushing him down firmly.

“Yes. They just need rest and so do yo-stop fighting, dammit!” Friso hissed our as he fought against her to sit up. He glared at her and slowly relaxed against the bed.

“Mal, just lay down and relax before you break Fris’s arm or some shit.” Tuz gave him a stern look.

Malakai rolled his eye. “I wouldn’t break her arm.”

“You almost did back in highschool. Fuckin’ steroid user.” Tuz snorted.

“I’m not on steroids!”

“Mhm. Sure. Hey, you know going on steroids makes your balls shrink? You should probably stop taking them if you wanna have kids-“

“Shut the  _ fuck _ up.” Malakai groaned, rubbing his face with one hand as Friso burst out laughing, Tuz raised their hands in surrender, smirking. 

“Speaking of highschool, if you went to a  _ real _ highschool, you totally would’ve been that dumb football guy, dude.” Friso plopped down in Quantum’s chair and started twirling one of his many pens.

“Football? Hah...that always did seem like a fun sport, you get to tackle people and shit…” Malakai hummed.

“I dunno why your parents didn’t even let you join a team. Homeschooled kids were allowed to join at our school” Tuz grinned. “You would’ve fit in with the other jocks perfectly!”

“ _ No.”  _ Malakai cringed at the thought. He’d seen enough bad movies to know what highschool football players were like. 

“Yeah, true. You’d suck at the whole ‘trying to get in every females pants’ part. Especially considering  _ Alex _ was your girlfriend at the time. She would’ve clawed the first girl that looked at you and then go after you for being in the same radius as her.” Tuz reached to readjust one of the pads on his lower abdomen. 

He jerked away as soon as he saw their hand move, panic shooting through him. That, coupled with the mention of Alex made him fearful.

Tuz froze and Friso stopped messing with the pen in her hands and stood up slowly, her gaze darting between the two.

“Ha...hey Mal. I’m not gonna feel up your abs or somethin’ dude. I don’t roll that way, gross.” Tuz smiled in a strained way and Friso’s expression looked like she was gonna snap any second from the tension in the room.

To anyone else, their reactions would’ve been weird. But he had always been close with the two and never flinched away from contact from either of them. They were just completely comfortable around each other and trusting that none of them would ever try anything on the other.

Ever.

Malakai couldn’t formulate a response, he just stared at them and tried to relax his expression. He could feel all the muscles in his face tensed up as well as his body.

“Malakai...did…” Friso spoke up hesitantly, but fell silent as Tuz shot her a deadly look. She swallowed and looked down at her converse.

“Ay, uh. You don’t want me to touch ya, I don’t touch ya, aight? Cool, cool.” Tuz spoke quickly, giving him a forced half smile. Malakai sighed and gave them a grateful look, glad they weren’t going to pry while respecting he didn’t want to be touched.

“So...does this mean no no-heteromo hugging?” Friso shakily spoke up.

Malakai started laughing despite how he felt. “Dumbass...come here, both of you.” He opened his arms.  _ I can handle a hug. I can handle a god damn hug… _

The two walked over to him on either side of his bed and hugged him gently. He relaxed when he felt okay and grinned before crushing them both in a hug.

“Ah! Fuck! Stop, you’re gonna put me in one of these damn beds when my ribs break!” Tuz shouted. Friso just let out a loud groan.

Malakai released them and smiled genuinely at them.

“Love you guys. No heteromo.” He added at the end. The teasing joke from early highschool coming up easy between the three.

“Psh, love you too.” Tuz threw an arm around Friso’s shoulders and they teasingly bent their knees to Tuz’s height. Tuz glared at them in response.

“Yeah, love you too Mal.” Friso grinned.

“Okay, now you better fucking tell us all about those three. You get this look in your eye that  _ almost _ gives me flashbacks to highschool, but it’s like...fifty times stronger than back then.”

“And less lust-y. Not a whole lot less, but better than it used to be.”

“Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, that parts still definitely there but now it’s more of a lovesick look and it’s fucking  _ gross.  _ Start talking. We gotta know all about them.”

“Yeah, who’s finally making my little bro relax? Gotta know if they’re trustworthy.”

Malakai grinned at the two, ignoring their teasing comments. “I mean, you two didn’t try to kill them at all, you didn’t even glare at them. I’d say you guys approve already.”

“Oh we do.” Tuz nodded. “They’re genuine and they’re surrounded by opportunities to kill you or hurt you and they haven’t.”

“And from what we’ve heard, they’ve even saved your ass quite a few times. You’re so fucking reckless.” Friso smirked at him.

“Exactly. Now tell us all about them. I need blackmail on you for future reference. It’s very important.”

“Of course you do…” Malakai laughed and shook his head.  _ I missed these two.  _

“Okay, so…”


	35. Chapter 35

_ Olie felt like shit. One time her sister had given her food poisoning so bad she  _ was bedridden for a week. She was pretty sure it was intentional, too.

But that didn’t compare to how she felt now in the smallest bit. She felt physically ill as well as in intense pain all over her back. 

She opened her eyes and looked around, staring around the room she was in. It was small and looked like identical to the room she’d seen Malakai in when he got attacked by Lloyd.

She shut her eyes as images of him laying pale and bloody in Astoria’s arms flashed into her head. She opened her eyes again when that made things worse and focused on the machine displaying her heart rate.

It was a little bit slower than usual, but steady.  _ That’s a good sign at least...I think. _

_ Wait a minute, did Catto get out safely?  _ She looked around the room, feeling bad when she realized she’d forgotten the cat.

_ I’m sure he’s alright...they wouldn’t harm a cat…wait, yes they would.  _ She laid her head back on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling, grateful the lights were currently dimmed.  _ He’ll be fine. _

The door to her room opened and she cringed as the lights were brightened. “Sorry Olie, I need to see what I’m doing.” Quantum walked into the room and stood at the side of her bed.

“It’s fine…” She waves him off, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

“How are you feeling?” He asked her, clicking the pen in his hand a few times.

“Like shit. Everything hurts and I kinda wanna barf…” She replied, placing her hand on her stomach, near the single gunshot wound on her stomach. “And I’m tired.”

Quantum nodded and wrote something down on his clipboard. “We extracted the bullets and patched up the bullet holes the best we can. I also gave you a bit of this new medicine I’m working on. The bad effects seem to have worn off by now though…”

Olie decided not to question what he meant by that. “Thanks Quantum…” She rested her hands over her abdomen, carefully keeping away from the healing gunshot wound.

“Of course. I’m gonna go check on Astoria and Irene-“

“They’re here too? Did anything happen to them? Are they alright?” She asked him rapidly.

“Yes, they’re fine, save for a few scrapes and bruises. They just need a day's rest and they’ll be back to full health in no time.  _ You _ on the other hand are gonna need at least a week. And so is Malakai. Even then, I’m being generous with you both.” Quantum gave her a stern look.

“So...if we’re both gonna be here for the same amount of time...can we share a room? I’ll probably go insane if I’m alone in this room for a week.” She asked him.

Quantum let out a long sigh. “Fine. But tomorrow though, you both need to be away from people just in case you get worked up. Mikau’s guarding the door outside so don’t try to leave or anything. You won’t get far.” He nodded to her and walked out of the room.

Olie sighed and laid back, counting the little dark grey dots on the ceiling tiles after a few moments. She got bored after counting 1,069 dots and stopped, looking around for something else to do.

She rolled on her side and stared out of the room at the dimly lit halls of the lab-hospital. She watched as people walked past, vaguely recognizing them as members of her gang.  _ My gang. _

That certain thought was always a bit weird to her, especially in the beginning. She’d become a part of the thing she always saw on the news and heard stories about. She was a part of what a majority of the  _ country _ feared.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about that when she was new to it all, but now it was just normal to her.

_ Crazy how much can change in a few months… _ She wouldn’t trade it for the world though. She glanced down at the tube in her and thought of the pain throbbing in her stomach and back.

Getting shot wasn’t as surprising and scary as she thought it would be. Part of her always knew it was inevitable considering her current lifestyle. 

She’d heal and move on from the event and then it was over. Nothing special about it.  _ These next few days are gonna suck though. _

She sighed, already extremely bored.  _ Maybe I should try to sleep, it’s not like I have anything else better to do… _ She shut her eyes and almost immediately fell asleep.

  
  
  
  
  


Olie jolted awake with a gasp, the scene before she got shot playing in her head.  _ Wait, fuck! I passed out before Astoria and Irene could respond!  _ She groaned.  _ Adonis is fucking lucky he’s dead… _

She laid back onto her bed and rolled on her side, tiredly staring into large red eyes. Her eyes started drifting closed before she jerked awake again.

“Wha-Hail!?” She looked at the massive wolf dog sitting next to her bedside. A small orange snake head was resting between his ears. Tango’s tongue poked out as he stared at her intently. Olie’s eyes drifted down and she saw Catto staring up at her intently from where he sat between Hail’s paws. 

_ What is happening right now.  _ She stared at the three and they stared back at her. She didn’t blink, silently engaging them in a staring contest. 

She eventually got uncomfortable and blinked, cursing as she realized she’d lost to her three pets. 

“Why are you three even in here?  _ How  _ are you three even in here? Why are you all completely fine with each other?” 

The three blinked in unison and Olie cringed and leaned back a little.  _ This is… _

“Quantum said it would be a good idea to bring your...pets in so you don’t go crazy.” A familiar voice spoke up from behind her, laced with disgust. Olie jumped and turned to Alejandra.

_ Oh come on, why is she in here but not...literally anyone else?  _ Alejandra slowly walked over to her bedside, giving Tango, Hail, and Catto disgusted looks.

Hail growled at her and Tango and Catto hissed. Alejandra glared harder at them before turning to Olie, her expression not softening.

“Do you need something with me?” Olie snapped. She was still pissed off at her for attacking Malakai after the Fedeltá’s meeting. She didn’t fear her much after how easy she took her down.

“Watch your tone. You’re the one on the hospital bed and with a flick of my wrist I can kill you right now.” Alejandra spat back.

Catto suddenly jumped up on Olie’s bed and curled up on her chest, carefully away from her stomach. The sudden movement caused Alejandra to jerk back. 

Olie held back a smirk and pet Catto’s head as she stared at her expectantly, waiting for her response.

“I wanted your report on what happened when you went on patrol with Malakai. How did you manage to be so careless? Were you and the other two  _ distracting _ him?” Alejandra spoke coldly.

“We didn’t do anything! I have no idea what happened besides the fact Alex and Will had something to do with it.” Olie replied, narrowing her eyes at the woman. 

Alejandra stared at her for a long moment before disappearing from the room, her hand pulling out

“Oh, uh, hey Alejandra! How are you do-  _ Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Thud. _

Will’s voice was abruptly cut off with the sound of gunfire and a thud. “Hm, I’ve been waiting for an excuse to do that...you there. Clean this up and dispose of his body. I don’t care what happens to him, just get his body out of my sight. You’re in his set, right? Good. Congratulations, you’re being given a field promotion.” Alejandra walked back into the room, putting her gold plated Beretta 92 back in its holster at her side.

Olie swallowed, refusing the urge to look out of the door to her room as she heard a body get dragged past it, accompanied by frantic, labored breathing. Catto and Hail tensed up while Tango disappeared in Hail’s thick fur.

“Will I believe would betray us. He’s soft, easily manipulated...but Alex? She’s way too loyal to us, you must be mistaken, or...you’re lying to me.” Alejandra stalked over to her and stood at the foot of her bed. Before Olie could make a furious response to the accusation, Alejandra continued on. 

“Trying to cover something up that you or the others did, whether on purpose or by mistake, by putting the blame on the one person you have a  _ clear  _ dislike of...sounds too good, doesn’t it?” Alejandra studied her, gaze unwavering.

Olie met her gaze, unflinching. “That’s stupid. Adonis said it himself that Alex was helping him. Why do you think you didn’t see Alex once yesterday?”

“Obviously because you did something to her to keep her quiet and out of the way. Also, I never heard Adonis say such a thing.” Alejandra replied easily.

Olie stayed quiet, knowing the argument was pointless. Alejandra wouldn’t believe her even if she had solid proof against Alex. 

“Did the police come for you?” Olie asked her after several beats of silence. Alejandra stares at her for a long moment before replying.

“No...they didn’t, why?” The smallest bite of confusion crept into her voice.

“Adonis has a plan. Kidnap Alexandrite and hand her over to the police for proof against you for child abuse. From there he thought they were gonna take you down and as many people associated with you as possible.” Olie said.

Alejandra’s eyes suddenly widened with fury. “That  _ bastard.  _ He used...he used  _ my  _ baby for his own-“

“Wait. Don’t act like your kids mean anything to you.” Olie interrupted her before she could start. She was tired and not in the mood for Alejandra’s shit.

“ _ What  _ are you implying?” Alejandra’s voice sounded cold as ice.

Olie stared at her for a long moment, everything Malakai had said over the past months coupled with Alejandra’s actions clicked into place. 

“You really do only care about what they can give you and that they’re  _ yours.  _ It’s always ‘my son’ and ‘my baby’. That possessiveness you always use when talking to them.” Olie shook her head.

“It’s like...they’re objects rather than people. You’re more worried about how Alexandrite being taken away affects  _ you.  _ Not her. You’re not worried when Malakai gets hurt because it doesn’t matter as long as he doesn’t  _ die. _ “

“Matteo and I didn’t raise that boy to be weak. We raised him to be the greatest thing to ever happen to our gang, proof of our leadership. Clearly we failed, he’s one of the  _ worst _ things to happen to this gang.” Alejandra straightened up.

“If he’s so bad, why the hell do you keep him around then, huh?” Olie gritted her teeth.

“He’s useful for grunt work. The only thing he’s good for is fighting. That’s all he has going for him. That and I keep him around because he’s still mine and Matteo’s son. Killing him or kicking him out of the gang is out of the question.”

“Wow…” Olie shook her head slowly. “My family was shitty in their own way; they were _bad._ You’re a different kind of shit. ” She shook her head again. She didn’t have any more words for Alejandra.

“Malakai is a disappointment to me and shame to the family name. I’m only saying the truth. As for Alexandrite, there’s no getting her back now. Money can only do so much for the cops when they’re presented with a  _ child.  _ She’ll be better off wherever they send her anyway.”

“You don’t know where she’s going.” Olie said softly, feeling drained from the conversation.

“You’re right, I don’t. But there’s no use dwelling on it. When are you going to be back on your feet?” Alejandra asked her.

“Why do you care?”

“Irene is refusing to help me with infiltrating the last of the Banda’s territory until you and Malakai are back to full health. The battle had too many casualties and I won’t go in blind again.” Alejandra frowned.

_ Hah. Nice Irene.  _ “I don’t know, a few weeks??” She shrugged her shoulders.

Alejandra sighed and stepped away from her bed, looking exasperated “Fine, fine.” She turned away and walked out of the room. She stopped at the doorway and turned her head to look at Olie.

“I do admire you, Olie. You knew the risks of dating someone affiliated with a gang and yet...here you are. Almost dead for not one, but three gang members...interesting.” She disappeared out of the room.

Olie slumped back in the bed with a tired sigh, deciding not to dwell on her words for now. Hail plopped his front paws on her bed and licked her cheek. Tango’s head reappeared between his ears.

She smiled and pet Hail’s neck with one hand, patting Tango on the head with her finger.

She looked towards the door at the sound of wheels and perked up as Quantum appeared, rolling Malakai’s bed into the room. Her eyes flickered over the bandages over his eye and lingered in his arms before she met his gaze.

He gave her a half smirk, although he looked clearly uncomfortable. “My eyes up here, Ol.” The words were lighthearted but forced.

She rolled her own eyes in response. “Shh. I was just making sure you’re alright…”

His smile turned a bit more genuine as Quantum rolled his bed a few feet away from hers. Malakai’s eye suddenly locked on the cat on her chest, drifting over Hail and Tango.

“Uh...what’s with the cat?” He pointed to Catto and Quantum glared at him as he moved.

“Found him when Adonis took me to dinner. He’s our son now. Congratulations. You’re the mother.” She deadpanned.

He squinted at her. “I’m the wh-Wait what do you mean he  _ took you out to dinner?”  _

Quantum groaned, rubbing his face. “Five seconds in here and his heart rate spiked…thank god Astoria and Irene aren’t he-“

Irene poked her head into the room, Astoria’s head appearing above hers. “Hey. Can we come in now?”

Quantum looked like he was going to blow a fuse. “No! They’re alr-oh my  _ god,  _ you made their heart rates spike even more and you haven’t even done anything.  _ Go away.  _ Mikau! You’re supposed to be guarding the door!”

Mikau poked his head in above Astoria’s, his expression neutral as always.

“Love helps cure wounds.” He said simply before disappearing.

“ _ That’s scientifically illogical! _ ” Quantum marched towards the door.

“Oh shit, Irene. We better run.” 

“Yeah. We’ll come back later guys! Bye!” The two shot past the doorway with Quantum yelling at them as he gave chase.

“You’re both supposed to be resting! Stop running!” 

Olie laid back down on her bed and closed her eyes. She was drifting off when Malakai spoke up.

“Adonis shot you, right?” 

She furrowed her brow but didn’t open her eyes. “Yeah.”

“And...he’s dead, right?” He asked tentatively.

“Yes Kai. Your mom ran him over.” She replied.

“Oh bullshit, she gets to kill him? I wanted to get him…” Malakai grumbled.

Olie laughed, rolling on her side to face him, still not opening her eyes. “Go to bed, Kai. I’m tired.”

“Fine, fine...good night. I love you, okay?” 

She smiled. “Yeah. I love you too.” 


	36. Chapter 36

_ Astoria let out a small yelp as her motorcycle suddenly skidded to a halt. She would’ve flown forward had it not been for  _ Irene’s back.

Irene pulled her helmet off, grinning. “That was fucking amazing, I need to do that again some time.” 

Astoria pulled off her own helmet and stepped off the bike, holding her head with one hand as the world spun. “Fuck. I didn’t think you’d to be so reckless on a a motorcycle.”

Irene snorted and kicked the kickstand before hopping off the motorcycle cheerfully. “It’s fine, I know what I’m doing.” She walked towards The Chaos.

“Tell that to the dude you almost ran over.” Astoria nudged her.

“His fault for being slow.” Irene shrugged, smiling when Astoria laughed. 

They entered the bar and headed to the dark hallway at the opposite end of the bar. The employees only door opened as they approached and Connor, the set leader from their recent meeting, stepped out.

He gave them an icy glare. “What are you two doing here?” His voice was low with anger, his posture stiffening. 

“What do you think? To visit people.” Irene replied, her eyebrow arching as she gave him an unimpressed look. 

“Why? You’re the ones who practically put everyone down there. If it wasn’t for you, none of us would’ve had to go  _ save  _ you all. Why would  _ anyone _ want to see either of you?”

Irene scoffed, shaking her head. “There’s no way Alejandra cared enough to send the entire gang after us. You guys weren’t there for us.” 

“Are you calling our leader a liar?” Conner’s eyes narrowed and he took a threatening step forward. 

Irene tilted her head up and stared him right in the eyes, unflinching as she stepped forward to meet him. “Yeah. I am. She lied to you.” She said bluntly.

“You know, I don’t think anyone would mind if you  _ accidentally  _ slipped and fell down these stairs, it’s a  _ long  _ fall-“ 

Irene shot forward and shoved him back, fast as lightning. He stumbled back with a noise of surprise and slipped off the top step. Irene grabbed him by the collar with one hand and leaned close to him.

“Yeah. It is a long fall,  _ isn’t it?”  _ Her voice lowered. She was practically dangling him over the top of the stairs. Connor swallowed and Irene dragged him up and stepped past him, walking down the stairs like nothing happened. 

Astoria stared after her for several seconds, glancing at Connor who was glaring down the stairs furiously. He made no move to go after Irene and stormed off into the bar. 

_ That was...shit… _ Astoria shot down the stairs after Irene and walked next to her. Irene smiled happily at her and she returned it.

“He looked scared as hell.” Astoria laughed. Irene nodded, looking the smallest bit proud.

“He’s got it out for us. I figured I should let him know I’m not gonna take that easy.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “And I needed that…” She trailed off, her gaze locking on something, or rather, someone.

Alejandra appeared out of Olie and Malakai’s shared room, her expression hot with rage. She walked past Irene and Astoria without a word, her fists clenched.

Quantum walked out after her, his gaze grim as he walked down the hall in the opposite direction. Astoria exchanged glances with Irene and they entered the room. 

Malakai had abandoned his own bed and was laying with Olie, she was passed out on him, her head resting on his chest, her arms loosely thrown around his torso. He had one arm wrapped around her, the other was pressed against his right. 

He looked up as they entered the room, lowering his hand slowly, revealing his right eye now had a black eyepatch over it. His eyebrow was split into three, two pink scars marking Alex’s work.

“She’s out cold so don’t worry about being quiet. Quantum put her on some heavy shit.” Malakai said, glancing down at Olie.

“Is she alright?” Astoria sat in one of the chairs while Irene leaned against the metal bed frame.

“She was in a lot of pain so Quantum offered...whatever he called it. It knocks her out so she can’t feel pain.” He ran his fingers through her hair.

”Is he sure she’s okay? Shouldn’t she be...almost better by now? It’s been a couple weeks now.” Irene asked.

“She is doing good, according to Quantum. The pain just flares up some days for whatever reason. I dunno why.” Malakai shrugged.

“I guess that’s good that she’s healing quickly at least.” Astoria said, looking over Olie’s sleeping form.

“How are you doing though, Kai?” Irene looked at him. His lip twitched and his eye darted around the room.

“Oh, I’m doing fine. Bandages are off my eye, y’know. Quantum got me this eyepatch, y’know. Now I don’t gotta worry about a Halloween costume or nothin’. Hah. Speaking of holidays, it’s Christmas Eve, isn’t it?” He responded quickly. He seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady but he tripped over his words/

“...yes, it is, Christmas Eve. Don’t change the subject though.” Irene crosses her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Ay, I’m not changin’ the subject. It’s just I suddenly remembered that. Tomorrow’s my birthday, isn’t that great?” He smiled, but it was strained. Astoria gave him a long look, noting that he was obviously hiding something.

“It...yeah, it’s pretty great. Do you want to do anything…? I know you’re not big on presents and all that but, do you wanna go somewhere at least?” Irene said, tapping her fingers against the metal on the bars on the side of the bed.

“Maybe somewhere for dinner, yeah. That’s it though, I’m happy just spending time with you guys.” Olie shifted in his arms and he looked down at her. She mumbled something and her eyes fluttered but she didn’t wake up.

“What are we gonna do about her though?” Astoria stood up and walked over to their bedside, standing next to Irene. She reaches down and brushed stray hairs out of Olie’s face.

“Maybe we can get Quantum to let her go out for a day. I’m sure it’ll be alright…” Irene said softly. Malakai nodded in agreement, looking distant.

He reached a hand up and it slid under the sleeve of his jacket as he stared off into space. He didn’t seem to notice what he was doing. 

“Hey Kai, have you ever driven a motorcycle before?” Astoria spoke up, deciding to try and snap him out of whatever was going through his head.

It worked. He slowly dragged his gaze away from nothing and looked at her, his hand dropping back to his side. He looked confused by the question.

“Once, I think. A long time ago...why?” He looked confused. Astoria looked at Irene pointedly and she rolled her eyes, laughing quietly.

“Irene may be cautious when she drives a car, but her driving in a motorcycle is  _ insane.  _ I think we almost crashed four times. And almost hit a couple people.” Astoria grinned.

“Hah, no, I wasn’t  _ that _ bad at it. I just had to make some sharp turns and some people were being  _ really _ slow…” 

“I’m pretty sure they were going the normal speed limit.”

“I don’t think so. They seemed slow to me, I didn’t even go that fast on the bike.” 

“I don’t want to know what you consider fast then.” Astoria snorted, smiling. 

“I’m surprised Irene. I would’ve expected you’d be even  _ more _ cautious on a bike considering how good of a driver you are normally.” Malakai cut into the conversation.

“It’s so much different from a car though, so much…free-er. I want one.” Irene shrugged.

“I want one too, actually. My car was nice but there’s just something about motorcycles that makes them better.” Malakai nodded.

“...maybe we can start a biker gang.” Olie’s voice suddenly cut into their conversation. Malakai jumped slightly and looked down at her, surprised at her voice. 

“Olie?” Astoria said softly. Olie didn’t open her eyes, but she shifted and rolled on her back before cursing, her eyes shooting open. 

“Ow! Fucking shit!” She yelped, quickly rolling on her side, limbs flailing in her haste to get the pressure off her back. Her elbow hit Malakai in the chest and her knee hit him right between the legs.

Malakai let out a strained whimpering noise, his eyes widening in pain. “ _ Fuck.”  _ He ground out through gritted teeth, his hand shooting between his legs.

“Oh wait, did I- _ oh.  _ Shit, I’m sorry Kai. I didn’t mean to...hit you...there…” Olie awkwardly trailed off and shifted so she was laying next to him. She set a hand on his shoulder and looked at him worriedly while he stared at the floor, eye bright with pain.

“ _ It’s fine.”  _ He mumbled in response. Astoria looked between the two, torn between pity and amusement. Irene wasn’t so torn on her emotions and burst into loud laughter.

Astoria cleared her throat, trying not to join in on her laughter as Malakai glared at Irene, his expression strained. Olie was still looking at him, but with less concern than before.

Irene eventually stopped laughing and straightened up. “Okay, I’m sorry for laughing but...I just couldn’t help it, it all happened so quick and...are you okay Kai?” 

Malakai nodded, beginning to relax. “Yeah, I’ll be fine in a few seconds…” He replied. He turned to Olie. “Olie, you have a  _ really _ deadly kick.” 

Olie smiled and let out a snort, rubbing his back briefly. “Thanks.” She turned away from him. “But really though, we should start a biker gang. It’d be really cool…” 

“Maybe after we leave we can get you all motorcycles and become a biker gang, Olie.” Astoria spoke, amusement in her voice.  _ It’s really not that bad of an idea, all things considered… _

“Leave what?” Alejandra’s voice suddenly came from the entryway of the room. Astoria turned around to face her, resisting the urge to either tell her to fuck off.

“The...Um...hospital.” Irene said slowly, glancing away several times. Alejandra raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her.

“Right...you wouldn’t be, oh I don’t know...talking about leaving the  _ gang _ , would you?” She stepped further into the room, her dark brown gaze narrowed.

“What? What gave you that idea?” Malakai asked. He sat up slightly, the strain on his face gone and replaced with annoyance, anger, and a third emotion Astoria couldn’t quite place.

“I have my ways of knowing things, Malakai...your conversations aren’t as private as you think they are.” 

“Bullshit. We were at the Banda’s when we talked about that.” Malakai snapped back. He began sitting up and slid off the bed.

“Oh good, you can stand. Anyway, I know because  _ you _ just confirmed it. I know you always wanted to leave and I had a feeling you were planning to do that soon...especially with certain  _ influences  _ involved.” She gave Olie, Irene, and Astoria a hatred filled glare.

“What now then? You gonna threaten me or try to guilt trip me into staying? Whatever you say or promise to do doesn’t matter. I’m not staying here anymore. It’s not worth it.” Malakai moved into her view and stepped in front of her.

Alejandra looked at him for a long moment, her body completely still except for the small movement in her eyes as she studied her son.

“Whatever you threaten me with, it doesn’t matter. Whatever reason it is you try to force me to stay isn’t gonna work. Alexandrite’s gone now so I…” He faltered, his voice wavering and Alejandra pounced.

“Exactly. Malakai, you’re the only family I have left. I’m now the only family  _ you _ have left.” Her voice shifted to a softer, pained tone and she stepped closer to Malakai, reaching up to press one hand against his face.

Malakai hesitated for a moment before he shook his head and smacked her hand away. He looked surprised at his own actions for a second before steeling his expression and Alejandra’s expression switched from shock to fury.

Malakai spoke before she could say anything. “You’re wrong. You’re not my family. You’ve hit me, manipulated me, and made me feel like I was only useful when I had a gun in my hand or when I hit someone. Even then, I always had to win or it wasn’t good enough.” He swallowed, his hands were shaking slightly and he clenched his fist. He looked down at the floor.

“Even a few minutes ago, you blamed... _ this _ on me.” He gestures to the eyepatch on his eye. “I told you every thing Alex did to me and it was  _ my _ fault. You and dad always said scars are marks of failure. That’s why I covered them up my whole life. You made me ashamed of them.” Malakai raised his head again.

“We...you...you’re not my family. I don’t care if we share the same blood. Family means more than just sharing blood.  _ They _ are my family.” He turned around and looked at Astoria, Irene, and Olie before turning back to face Alejandra.

She was silent the whole time, staring at her son with a look of fury and underneath that, panic. “How can you say that!? You’ve known them for...what, two years total!? You’ve known those two-“ She gestured to Olie and Astoria. “For less than a year. How can you say that when I’ve been there for you your entire life!? Since  _ birth!” _

“Because in that time they’ve treated me better than you did my whole life. How much time you’ve spent with someone doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with that time that does. You gave me twenty-one years of hell.” Malakai’s voice became steady and his hands stopped shaking.

“I love them more than anything in this world. I’m leaving with them and I’m not letting you stop me. I know you won’t do anything to them because you  _ need  _ them when we raid Banda's territory, so don’t try to threaten them. That battle is the last time you’re gonna see me.” He walked out of the room without another word.

Alejandra stared after him and opened and closed her mouth several times. She turned around to face Olie, Irene, and Astoria, looking like she was gonna say something. She eventually shut her mouth and stormed out of the room without a word, leaving pure silence behind her. 

Astoria’s phone suddenly buzzed and she gritted her teeth.  _ What the fuck does he want now?  _ She unlocked her phone and looked at the text.

  
**Dara** **  
** **  
** **Now** **  
** **  
** **If you’re not gonna come back on your own I’ll send people after you. If they don’t bring you back, I’ll come for you myself. Stop running away.**


	37. Chapter XXXVII: Malakai

_ Malakai regretted trying to walk. There was still pain between his legs, and despite him _ being almost fully healed, he was still on pain medication.

But, he didn’t feel comfortable staying in the room after everything he said. He had to leave the room. On the other hand, he didn’t really have anywhere to go.

Quantum would kill him if he saw him out of bed, he got upset when he found out Malakai simply left his own bed and took the few steps it took to get to Olie’s bed.

Malakai didn’t mind the small bit of pain and scolding, he enjoyed cuddling far too much to let that get in his way. 

He glanced down the hall towards his and Olie’s shared room, letting out a small relieved sigh as he saw Alejandra walk out of the room. Despite his words earlier, he didn’t  _ fully _ believe she wouldn’t try to hurt him, Olie, Irene, or Astoria.

The only thing that allowed him to leave after dropping all that on his mom was Mikau standing outside the room. He knew Mikau wouldn’t let anything happen.

He let out a long breath and ran his fingers through his hair.  _ What the fuck did I just do?  _ He hadn’t stood up to his parents in any way since he was a teenager. He’d just decided it wasn’t worth his dad beating the hell out of him so he kept quiet. 

_ I really regret not hitting him back. If standing up to my mom felt like that...then I wonder what it would’ve felt like to stand up to him.  _ He felt free after finally saying what he wanted to, he’d spent his whole life in fear.

A small part of him was still fearful of backlash, but he ignored it. It was done and he couldn’t take it back and he didn’t  _ want  _ to. 

“Malakai Eldridge Calhoun, I’m going to handcuff you to the goddamn bed if you leave it again.” Quantum’s voice dragged him out of his thoughts. 

“Kinky.” Malakai replied sarcastically, turning to face him. Quantum glared at him harder, unamused. He grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards the room he shared with Olie.

“Oh come on Quantum, I’m all better now! It’s been what, three weeks? Plenty of time to heal!” Malakai protested.

Quantum inhaled for a long time before sharply exhaling. “I’ll check your vitals and if I see the smallest thing out of alignment I  _ will _ handcuff you to the bed.” He said as he pulled him through the doorway. 

Astoria squinted at the words, Olie’s eyebrows went up, and Irene crossed her arms. “I’m sorry, you’re gonna  _ what?” _

“He’s trying to play out his fantasies with me. I don’t like it, it’s really weird and I think he forgot I’m very much taken, y’know?” Malakai spoke before Quantum could respond.

“That’s it. I’m keeping you here for another month.” Quantum shook his head, rubbing his forehead.

“Ay, fuck that. I’ll bust out of here and Olie will help me, right Ol?” He glanced at her and she nodded in confirmation.

“As long as I get to come, I’m good with doing that.” 

“Kai, just sit and let me take your vitals.” Quantum pointed to a chair, looking exasperated.

Malakai raised his hands in a show of surrender and sat down in the chair quietly. 

Quantum began going about checking his vitals. Malakai was mostly bored through the whole thing, feeling like he was having a regular doctor’s check-up. 

Irene and Astoria soon left the room to go get breakfast and to hunt down Hail, Tango, and Catto. 

“Hey, I’m gonna check your blood pressure, okay?” Quantum held up a blood pressure monitor.

“Hey, uh, this seems like a lotta shit to do, can’t you just look at my arms and my eye and let me out of here? You already took the bandages off my eye and my arms are almost healed.” Malakai asked him quickly, subconsciously reaching up to tug on the side of his jacket.

Quantum rolled his mismatched eyes. “If this is about your scars or something, save it. I’ve already seen them plenty of times and Olie doesn’t care, you should know that by now.” 

_ It’s not that easy. Especially after hearing what my mom said about my scars… _ He reluctantly pulled off his jacket and let Quantum put the blood pressure monitor on his arm.

“Well...everything looks alright. You can walk just fine and function normally. I guess you’re healed enough to leave.” Quantum said after checking the monitor and taking it off Malakai’s arm.

Malakai smirked, trying to look calm and collected as he put his jacket on quickly. “Of course I am. No little cuts are gonna slow me down.” 

Quantum looked up at the ceiling, shaking his head. “Olie, you should be good to go in a day or two. The medicine I put you on worked and you’ve healed quickly and the wounds aren’t on your arms or legs. Therefore, it’ll be harder for you to stretch any of the wounds but still, don’t bend or do any heavy lifting. Anything that moves your abdomen, and also be sure t-“

“Quantum, I’m not stupid-“

“But you’re clumsy.” Malakai interrupted Olie’s protests. She opened her mouth to argue, glaring at him, before stopping.

“Okay. Yeah. I’m clumsy, but I’ll be careful this time, trust me. I don’t want to have to come back here because it’s fucking  _ boring. _ ” 

“It is, yeah. You ever think about like, giving us TV’s or something?” Malakai asked Quantum.

“If your mother allowed us more money, then yes. I would have. But she gives us the bare minimum for equipment and electricity. The money from the bar goes to keeping the bar itself open while paying for our apartment.” Quantum frowned, his gaze darkening.

Malakai grunted. He would offer to talk to his mom about giving them more money but he doubted she would be willing to do any favors for him.

“I have more people to check on. I’ll be back later to check on you Olie. Malakai, I know you don’t care for your own health like an ass, but please make sure she doesn’t try to leave or something.” Quantum said as he headed towards the door. “And you’re both getting weekly checkups after you leave.”

Malakai snapped finger guns at him as he walked past. “I won’t let her leave.” He replied. Quantum mumbled under his breath and left the room.

Malakai picked up his chair and sat it closer to Olie’s bed. “You gonna be okay alone in here for a bit?” 

She nodded. “Of course I am. It’s not like I haven’t slept alone before. It’s just...been a while.” Olie glanced out of the door, her gaze thoughtful.

“How long were you and Astoria together befo-“

Irene and Astoria walked back into the room, making him pause and look up.

“You guys didn’t want any food right?” Irene asked as she leaned against the wall next to the door.

“Nah. We ate before you guys came here. Quantum fed us. Food was stale, but still food.” Malakai waved her off and Olie nodded to his words.

Astoria shuffled past them all, her gaze on her phone as she sat down in one of the chairs at the side of the room. Her expression was tight as her fingers flew rapidly across her screen.

Malakai furrowed his brow at the sight and exchanged half confused half concerned glances with Olie. They turned to Irene questioningly and she glanced between them and Astoria before shrugging. 

_ She had a weird call before.  _ She mouthed after a moment. Malakai nodded. He was sure it wasn’t anything too big of a deal.

“So, what were you asking me before, Kai?” Olie spoke, taking his attention away from Astoria.

“Oh, yeah. How long were you with Astoria before you met me and Irene?” Irene looked at them, interest creeping into her expression.

“How long? Hm…” Olie glanced up at the ceiling, her eyes narrowing in thought. 

“About a little over a year? We had like, just moved in together before we met you guys.” She looked back down.

“Mhm. After I left Ultio, I hopped around from city to city and laid low until I felt comfortable settling down somewhere and...well, you guys know how we met and started dating soon after.” Astoria joined the conversation, glancing up from her phone.

Malakai nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Right, yeah...I think me and Irene were together for about the same amount of time, right?” He turned his head to look at Irene for confirmation. She nodded.

“Yeah. And you guys already know the story about how we got together so I won’t bother sharing it again.” 

“...speaking of stories.” Olie hesitated for a moment, glancing at the wall briefly. 

“Kai...what Quantum said before. You know he’s right, yeah? About your scars?” She rushed through the words.

Malakai tensed up, swallowing as he thought how to respond. Olie didn’t continue on, looking like she was struggling to find the right words.

“And your mom and whatever your dad said to you about them, they lied. Your scars aren’t as bad as they thought they were or as bad as  _ you _ thought they were.” Irene pushed herself off the wall and sat next to Malakai.

Astoria shifted closer as Irene moved to pull off the thin black jacket she was always wearing. Her crop top exposed most of the skin on her torso, covering her chest and leaving her arms, stomach, and shoulders bare.

She raised her arms slightly and looked down at them, her expression neutral but with a hint of sadness to it. Her skin was littered with small scars, going from her forearms to her shoulders. 

“I know I don’t have as many scars as you, and they aren’t as big. But, I think we all have a bit of an understanding about how you feel. Just...we’re not affected by it to your extent. We’re not judging you for them though, they’re not  _ bad.  _ It’s just...results of your lifestyle.” She said quietly, looking away from her arms to meet Malakai’s gaze.

He looked down at her arms and let out a long sigh. “I know, it’s...it’s not that different and I’m being stupid, I just…” He reached for his jacket and hesitated for a second before shutting his eyes and pulling his jacket off.

“It’s hard to look at...all of  _ this  _ when everytime my parents saw them they’d act like it was shameful. _ ”  _ He waved his arms around, his gaze flicking over every scar. He always found the variation in how they looked almost fascinating, but the fascination was always ruined by negative thoughts. 

The raised scars, the ones that were near white against his skin, the darker ones, the freshly healed pink slashes on his arms, sure to scar. They all stood out so much, constant reminders of every bad thing he’d endured. All in different shapes and sizes. They looked awful. He started getting lost in thought as his eye locked on the bite mark on his arm, his most prominent scar.

“...you know, I got bitten by someone one time.” He felt like he’d been dragged out of water as he finally spoke.

“ _ Bitten?  _ What, did you have a run in with a group of zombies?” Astoria scooted her chair over and sat on his other side.

“Hah, no. We were having a party at the mansion, we had just gotten a shit load of money off a deal with another gang. I was in the backyard, I see this guy standing there. He’s sitting at the outside dining area with this pile of bath salts in front of him at the table. 

He stands up and comes up to me, all smilin’ and shit with fuckin’ little crystals all over his nose. He tries to talk to me and I know he’s high off his ass so I try to leave. Next thing I know, I’m on the floor with this dude on top of me, my sleeve came down in the scuffle…” Malakai turned his arm and looked closer at the bite marks.

“Boom. He takes a nice bite at me, would’ve gotten my neck if I hadn’t thrown my arm up.” He shook his head, almost feeling amused at the memory. “It was crazy. Bath salts are a hell of a drug.” 

Astoria reached over, her hand hovering over his left arm, fingers near the bite marks. “Can I…?”

Malakai nodded. “Yeah, they’re not gonna hurt or anythin- _ yauh. _ “ He broke off with a noise of suprise when he felt Astoria gently trace the scars with her fingertips. She jerked her hand back.

“Fuck, I’m sorry-“

“No, no! It didn’t hurt.” He said quickly, grabbing her wrist and pulling it back to his arm, giving her a reassuring look. “I’ve just never had someone touch my scars before, they’re...sensitive, apparently.” 

Irene snorted next to him. “Good to know.” She said softly.

Malakai nodded. He felt surprisingly comfortable having his scars on full display. Maybe it had something to do with him wanting to defy his moms words, or maybe it was because now there were scars that he  _ couldn’t  _ hide. Like the ones on his eyebrow. 

It also felt surprisingly good to talk about his scars. It wasn’t all bad to relive certain memories, some of them were amusing, in hindsight. He reached up and pulled the collar of his red t-shirt to the side, revealing a long, thin rectangular scar right on the front center of his shoulder.

“Hey Irene, remember where this ones from?” He nudged her, smiling as she looked at the scar.

“How could I forget? That night was...one of the best and worst nights I’ve ever had.” She smiled, shaking her head slightly. She pressed a finger against it, letting out a quiet, fond laugh.

Quantum poked his head in. “Hey, visiting hours are almost ov-“ He squinted at them. “I’m...not gonna ask what’s going on in here. Anyway, you guys gotta go soon, so. Wrap it up.” He disappeared as quickly as he came.

Olie turned to Malakai. “I wanna hear the story so talk fast. What’d you and Irene do? In detail, this time.”

“So, we were meeting up one night for…”


	38. Chapter XXXVIII: Irene

_ Irene jerked awake, panting heavily. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness _ . She shifted and moved to sit up before realizing she was trapped because of Malakai and Astoria.

Malakai was face planted on her right, his chin resting on her shoulder, his breath tickling her neck every few seconds. His arm was thrown over her waist, resting on Astoria’s hip, as she was laying in Irene’s other side. Astoria was asleep on her back, her head turned to rest in Irene’s shoulder, one leg thrown over hers.

Irene sighed and shut her eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm herself down. She still had nightmares about her life with Lloyd, she wasn’t sure if they’d ever go away.

She glanced out of the window of the bedroom. The sun had risen and was high in the sky, it was currently cloudless.

Astoria stirred and her green eyes fluttered open, darting around the room as she gained her surroundings. She looked at Irene and smiled tiredly, her eyes sliding closed again.

On her other side, Malakai jolted and raised his head, drool trailing down his chin. He wiped his mouth and shifted on his side.

“Hey Irene…” He mumbled out, his voice raspy from lack of use. She turned and met his gaze, smiling slightly.

“Good morning Kai. Happy birthday.” She replied to him, her voice sounding equally as raspy. He smiled lazily at her and sat up.

“I’m old...I’m twenty-two.” He rolled on his back and rubbed his face, carefully avoiding his eyepatch.

“You are.” She agreed, teasingly nudging him with her elbow. Her other hand reached down and started messing with Astoria’s hair. 

Astoria stirred, her eyes fluttering open again. “Mmm...is it morning…?” Her voice came out muffled as she pressed her face back on Irene’s shoulder.

“It is. And it’s also-“

“Your birthday!” Her head shot up and she looked at Malakai. He nodded, looking amused.

“Yep. That’s right.” He glanced away, looking at the sheets on his bed.

“You sure you don’t want anything?” Astoria asked, sounding more awake as she sat up fully.

He nodded. “Yeah. I just wanna visit Olie and see how she’s doing. If she’s doing better we can go do something, I guess.” 

He sat up and swung his legs off the bed, standing up and stretching.  _ He didn’t sleep with his jacket on. Huh… _ Irene hadn’t ever seen him voluntarily take his jacket off ever.

She’d fallen asleep next to him countless times. In addition to sneaking out at night together, they’d sometimes snuck into each other's rooms to be with each other for hours. It was incredibly dangerous, but neither of them really cared once they had practice doing so.

Irene turned away from him and glanced at Astoria, seeing her looking at her phone with a dark expression. Her fingers flew across the screen rapidly. She abruptly stood up and started walking out of the room.

“I’m gonna g-go get dressed. I’ll be right back.” She said quickly, stuttering as she left the room.

“Something’s up with her.” Irene said out loud, more to herself than to Malakai. He nodded, sitting next to her.

“You think she’s cheating?” He asked, his voice was mostly joking but there was the tiniest hint of fear in his voice.

“Stop that. She’d never.” She hit his arm, narrowing her gaze at him. He shook his head.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s not that I don’t trust her, it’s just...y’know, insecurities and Alex ‘n shit. I’m mostly joking anyways.” He waved his arms around as he spoke.

Irene nodded understandingly, pushing away thoughts of Lloyd that popped into her head. She reached down and grabbed his hand. “You know she may be dead, right? Astoria said there’s a possibility she killed her.” 

Malakai nodded, looking down at their hands. “I heard. I wish we had some way of knowing if she’s actually dead or not.”

“If she’s still alive, I’m gonna kill her myself after what she did.” she followed his gaze to their hands. 

“Lloyd’s still alive, isn’t he?” Malakai looked at her, his gaze dark. She nodded and he shook his head.

“I should’ve hit him hard enough to knock his lights out for good. That son of a bitch has done way too much shit to everyone. Especially you.” He said darkly.

“There will be other times to get him. It’s okay. You really did a number on his face, it was fucked up.” She nudged his arm with her elbow.

He smiled a little. “Good, at least that counts for something’.” He sounded the smallest bit proud.

Irene laughed. “It definitely does…” She agreed. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Malakai started pulling away from her.

“I need to find my jacket so we can leave and go visit Ol.” He began standing up and she tightened her grip on his hand.

He gave her a questioning look and she leaned in and kissed him hard. He quickly returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her tightly. 

Her hands went to the hem of his shirt and he suddenly jerked back with a gasp. She gave him a confused look, the reaction unusual.

“S-sorry. You startled me. Uh, I really gotta get my jacket so we can go. Olie’s waitin’ for us and uh, we shouldn’t make her wait.” He pulled away from her and stood up. 

He scanned the room, looking anywhere except at her and she stood up. “Kai. What’s wrong?” She gave him a worried look.

“Nothin’! ‘M fine. I already told you, we gotta go and you startled me is all. I’m gonna go check downstairs.” He headed towards his doorway and Irene grabbed his hand.

“Malakai...you don’t have to hide things from us, especially if something’s wrong. I know none of us are really good at talking about stuff that’s bothering us but…” She stepped closer to him.

He turned to face her, suddenly looking tired. “I...I know. Look, Alex...did more than just fuck up my eye and cut my arms up. I don’t want to talk about it now.” His eye had a slightly pleading look to it.

She nodded and took a deep breath. She went to hug him before hesitating, wondering if that was too much considering his reaction before. 

Malakai suddenly grabbed her in a tight hug, she felt his hands gripping the back of her jacket tightly. Irene quickly wrapped her arms around him.

“I love you.” He mumbled, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“I love you too.” She replied without hesitation.

The two stayed like that for a while before slowly pulling away. Malakai kisses her on the cheek and smiled at her before leaving the room.

_ What was that about?  _ She grabbed her jacket off his bedpost and pulled it on. She thought over his behavior as she laced up her converse.

_ He’s acting weird, Astoria’s acting weird. Olie’s...well, she’s recovering now, but she was acting a little off before that… _ She sighed and stood up. She’d give it more thought later.

Irene headed towards Astoria’s barely used room and poked her head inside. Hail was laying on the bed with Catto laying in the curve of his body. Tango was curled up in a tight ball on Catto’s back.

Hail’s head perked up when she walked over to the three, his tail thumping against the bed loudly. She winced at the noise and pet his head. Catto and Tango continued sleeping through the noise.

“Is Tango even supposed to be out of his cage…? How did you do that…?” She muttered, mostly to herself. Hail paused, giving her an almost offended look, like he understood her.

“Um...I guess it’s alright as long as you’re looking after him, Hail.” She laughed quietly. Hail looked pleased and painted happily.

She walked out of the room, leaving the three to go back to sleep and continued looking for Astoria. 

“...Irene Seymour…” Irene narrowed her eyes and turned around, annoyed at both the use of her full name and that Alejandra had found her.

She gave Alejandra an expectant look, not offering her a greeting. Alejandra’s eyes were red and she sniffed, rubbing at her nose.  _ Great. She’s high. _

“I’d like to speak to you for a few minutes.” Her words were surprisingly steady. Irene glanced down the hall before sighing.

_ No.  _ “Okay. Fine.” She shrugged and gestured for Alejandra to continue on. Alejandra walked past her towards her room and waved Irene in.

Reluctantly, she entered the room. She kept herself tense and ready incase Alejandra decided to finally get revenge on Irene for that fight so long ago.

Alejandra shut the door behind her and walked over to her bed, sitting down on it. Irene crossed her arms.

“Well?”

Alejandra studied her for several minutes. “...you confuse me, a bit…” She began hesitantly. “Why did you leave your gang? I know I threatened you and all but...your father was still alive and all your gang. Why would you leave it all behind?”

“You really called me in here just to ask about that? Okay. Then I’ll keep it short. My dad was a dick, my ‘ _ boyfriend _ ’ was shit, every person in my gang treated me nice solely because of who my father was. That place held nothing but bad memories for me and I would’ve done  _ anything _ to get out of there.” She shook her head. 

“Plus, it gave me a chance to be around Malakai without having to sneak around. He’s my boyfriend, that’s obviously a plus for me. On top of that, I got to be closer to Olie and Astoria and…” She cleared her throat, realizing she was aging things Alejandra didn’t need to know. “Anyway. Yeah, my gang sucked and it was better for me to come here despite all the shit my dad drilled into my skull about you guys.”

“I don’t understand how it can be so easy to just...leave everything you’ve known your whole life behind. Your only family, you just...left them, left your father-“

“I could leave easy because that place was  _ hell.  _ As far as I’m concerned, my dad doesn’t even deserve the right to the title ‘dad’. He knew awful shit was happening to me and he did nothing.” Anger crept into her words and she once again stopped talking.

“Is there anything else you wanted to know or can I go?” Her fingers twitched. This room was suddenly way too cramped.

“...what  _ good _ do you see in my son and those two?” Alejandra’s voice came out soft. She faced Irene directly.

Irene looked at her for a long moment. “Many things I don’t think someone like you will ever be able to see. You’re too biased.” She didn’t feel the need to explain further to Alejandra.

She stepped out of the room and prepared to shut the door behind her. She gave Alejandra one last look. 

“I’ll help you when we raid my old base but don’t think for a second I’m doing it for you. I’m doing it so we can put an end to all of this. If you try anything against Malakai, Astoria, or Ollie, I’ll snap your  _ fucking _ neck.” She shut the door and walked down the hall.

She quickly went down the stairs and looked around, spotting Astoria as she emerged from the living room. She looked tired but she smiled as Irene approached.

“Hey there. Kai’s outside, his mom apparently got him a motorcycle for his birthday and he’s freaking out over it.” She smiled fondly, laughing a little.

Irene nodded. “Looks like me and Olie are gonna have to get our own bikes soon so we can join you two.” 

“Sure, I’d say let’s get them today but most places are closed ‘cause it’s Christmas.” Astoria walked towards the door.

  
  


Irene nodded as she opened the door for Astoria and walked out behind her.

Malakai was sitting on a sleek dark red motorcycle, his eye wide with excitement and he was grinning wildly.

“Hah, I haven’t seen him that excited since you and Olie announced you liked us all.” Irene commented as she walked down the steps. 

“Really? That’s...I’d say that’s sweet but I’m not sure how I feel about that being on the same level as him getting a motorcycle…” Astoria didn’t look too offended.

Irene laughed and reached for her hand, stretching up to kiss her on the jaw. “He’s wanted one of these his whole life. It’s nothing personal, trust me.” 

Astoria nodded, walking over to her own motorcycle. Malakai revved his motorcycle and smoothly drove next to hers.

“Ay, you come here often?” He winked the best he could at them, a smirk crossing his face.

Astoria rolled her eyes and put her helmet on. Irene walked over and hit him on the arm.

“I live here.”

“Well...yeah, okay, but...fuck, I don’t have any other shitty pick up lines. Just get on.” She laughed at him.

“Who says I’m riding with you? There’s another perfectly fine motorcycle right there with an equally fine person sitting on it.” She crosses her arms.

Astoria flipped up the visor on her helmet, a faint flush on her cheeks. She opened her mouth, most likely to argue but Malakai cut her off.

“You’ve got me there, who wouldn’t wanna ride with someone as beautiful as that?” 

Astoria groaned and flipped her visor back on. “Stop it.”

“And then what? Lie? Hell no.” Irene responded, exchanging proud grins with Malakai. 

“I-ugh, I’ll see you two at the bar.” Astoria said quickly, she kicked her kickstand and shot out of the circular driveway.

Malakai burst out laughing and Irene joined him, leaning on the space behind where he was sitting.

“Flirting never gets old.” He said after he regained his ability to breathe properly.

“Yeah, you’re not half bad at it, sometimes.” Irene straightened up, still smiling. 

“It ain’t hard when all I have to do is comment on what I see. Right now I see an extremely attractive woman who should sit so we can go meet our equally attractive girlfriends.” He patted the seat behind him.

“Too much attractive.” She swung her leg over one side of the motorcycle and sank down on the seat.

“I’m allowed to say that word as much as I want when I’m talking about the people I’m in a relationship with.” Malakai countered, grabbing a red helmet off the floor and handing it to her before putting on a second one.

“Fair enough.” 

Malakai revved the engine loudly again and she shoved him lightly before wrapping her arms around his waist.

“That’s so loud!”

“Yeah, but-“

One of the doors to the mansion flew open and Alejandra stormed out, glaring at them.

“Oh shit.” 

“I’m not dealing with her. Drive!” She tightened her grip around him. He didn’t hesitate as he raised his leg off the floor and shot out of the driveway.


	39. Chapter XXXIX: Astoria

_ Astoria smacked into Olie just as she entered her room. Olie was  _ near;y running as she left the room so she nearly knocked Astoria over. 

Olie grabbed her arms to steady her. “Sorry, fuck. Quantum just told me I can go, so I was way too happy to get out of there. I just needed to get out of there ‘cause it’s so damn boring and sleeping alone on that bed is really awful and-“

Astoria grabbed her in a hug, effectively silencing her. Olie returned the hug happily. 

Astoria kept her arms on Olie’s upper back, being careful to keep well away from any of the healing gunshot wounds on her back. 

She briefly worried about the gunshot on Olie’s front but discarded the worry when Olie hugged her tighter, assuming she wasn’t that bothered by the pain.

“I feel like I haven’t hugged you in forever,” Olie mumbled against her, sounding relaxed but with an underlying note of sadness.

Astoria nodded and dropped her chin against her head. “It has been a while, actually.”

The two stayed hugging until Olie pulled back. She didn’t break contact fully and grabbed Astoria’s hand, interlocking their fingers.

“Where’s Kai and Irene?” She asked, looking around the hospital halls in search of the two.

“They should be here soon. I left them behind ‘cause they wouldn’t stop flirting with me.” Astoria answered her.

“Whatever they said was probably true, Astoria.” Olie said, walking down the hall towards the staircase, pulling Astoria with her. 

“Hah, no…” Astoria denied her words. Olie gave her an unimpressed look.

“Well, they complimented you on your looks or personality right?”

“Yeah?”

“Then yes, I’m sure whatever they said was true.” Olie smiled, looking slightly smug. She walked up the stairs and tugged on Astoria’s hand again as she paused.

“I’m not gonna be able to convince you otherwise, am I?” Astoria sighed.

“Nope!” Olie said cheerfully, swinging their hands. Astoria smiled, accepting defeat.

“...really. It’s wild that she didn’t even get it in  _ navy blue.  _ It’s red, no gang symbol on it...is this like-“ Malakai’s voice broke off as the two reached the top of the steps and rounded the corner of the employees’ closet.

Malakai and Irene were walking towards them at the end of the hall. Malakai lowered his raised hands, pausing mid-sentence and grinned.

“Hey Olie! You’re up, you free to leave this place then?” He asked as they approached, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

“Mhm, yep.” Olie nodded. “Happy birthday Kai.” She briefly dropped Astoria’s hand and hugged him around the middle.

Malakai tensed up, his gaze flicking around the bar briefly before he suddenly relaxed and returned Olie’s hug.

“Thanks Ol…” He said quietly when she pulled away from the hug and looked up at him.

“Of course.” She glanced around him and looked at the bar, not seeming to notice his reaction. “So, where are we going?” 

Malakai shrugged, glancing behind him. “It’s still kinda early so this place is more restaurant than bar...maybe we should just stay here?”

Irene nudged him. “Don’t ask us, it’s your birthday. Do what you want, I’m sure we’re all down for whatever.”

“She’s right.” Astoria agreed while Olie nodded. 

Malakai still looked hesitant. “Well...yeah, but I don’t want you guys to not be happy. That’s what I want, really, I’d feel bad...” He looked away after he finished speaking, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s not like we hate this place or something. I’m happy being with you guys anywhere, anyway.” Astoria reassured him. 

“Oh yeah, totally. This is a nice change from being in a deadly gunfight or being locked in a prison cell. Oh, and a hospital bed for the last month.” Olie added, grabbing Malakai’s arm and dragging him towards a booth.

Irene snorted and followed after them. Astoria grabbed her arm. “Hey, wait, Irene.” 

“Huh? What’s up?” She halted and turned to look up at Astoria questioningly.

“Kai’s not like...trying to play it off that he doesn’t want anything special, right?” She asked Irene.

“Oh nah. He’s never really liked celebrating his birthday as long as I’ve known him. He just liked small stuff like going out to dinner with me. Before you and Olie came along at least, I don’t think that’ll change except for the fact he’ll want you two here now too.” Irene explained.

Astoria nodded. “Let me guess, something to do with his parents makes him not want to celebrate?” She began walking towards where Malakai and Olie were sitting at a table.

“Yep. I can’t say I blame him, I don’t really like celebrating my birthday either...really reminds me of my parents.” Irene shrugged, letting out a small sigh.

“I’m with you there.” Astoria nodded. The two fell silent as they sat across from Malakai and Olie, the two already deep in conversation.

“...get a blue one, like my knife. Would that be a cool color on a bike? Or maybe I should go for red? Your bike’s red though...Astoria’s is dark green...how about dark blue? And then Irene could get purple.” Olie rambled on while Malakai was listening intently, his chin resting on his palm, a fond expression on his face.

“Purple? I think a dark purple would look cool…you’re talking about motorcycles, right?” Irene mused, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

Olie nodded. “I think so too. I did kind of want a sky blue one, sorta like my knife, but I think it would throw off the dark scheme Ast and Kai have going. I did like that color though, sucks that I lost my knife…”

“You lost another knife?” Astoria raised an eyebrow, half exasperated and half amused.

“ _ Another _ knife? How many have you lost, Olie?” Malakai snorted, leaning back in his chair.

Olie narrowed her eyes in thought, genuinely having to think about it. “Overall or in the past year?”

“Uh, overall. Now I’m curious.” Irene spoke.

“I think...sixteen? Maybe seventeen? I’m not really sure, I sorta lost track after ten.” Olie shrugged, looking slightly sheepish. “They’re small and easy to lose, especially when they’re, y’know. Buried in somebody.” 

“I never lost my dagger once.” Astoria countered.

“Yeah, whatever. Yours is a dagger with a sheathe and all that fancy shit.” Olie waved her off.

“I’m sorry, did you say you lost  _ seventeen  _ knives, Olie?” Quantum appeared seemingly out of nowhere at the side of their table, making the four of them jump.

“Fuck, Quantum, don’t do that shit. I almost punched your lights out…” Malakai shook his head. Quantum ignored him and kept staring at Olie questioningly.

Olie shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s not a big deal. I can just get a new one.” 

“Have you ever...thought about trying a different weapon?” Quantum asked slowly.

“Sort of, but I’m not a huge fan of guns and daggers. Plus, it probably wouldn’t change much, I’d lose them all the same. It’d have to be like...attached to me somehow, or something.”

Quantum nodded slowly, Astoria could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“Interesting. Oh, uh. I’m here to take your guys’ orders. Riot’s backed up from the breakfast rush so you get me instead-“

“I’d rather wait for Riot, he’s less annoying-ow.” Olie smacked Malakai on the arm.

“Fuck you.” Quantum nudged his shoulder, glaring at him.

“I’m alright, not in the mood for birthday sex. Thanks for offering though.” 

“I find that hard to believe from  _ you _ .” 

“Shut up. Wait, don’t you have people still in the…” Malakai paused and looked around as if checking for people listening. Anyone sitting nearby was carefully averting their gaze from their table.

“Still in the uh, hospital? Don’t you need to be...monitoring them and shit? Making sure they don’t die?”

Quantum shrugged. “Eh, they’ll be fine. This is more important. Now order shit so I can leave and you can go back to your date.”

_ Date? Does this count as a date?  _ The thought popped into Astoria’s head and she could practically see the same thought pop into Irene, Malakai, and Olie’s head.

Quantum sighed. “...you’re all clueless, I can see it on your faces. Yes, this counts as a date by definition. A date is a social or romantic appointment or engagement that-“

“Okay, okay. We don’t need the definition. Just...take our orders.” Malakai interrupted him hastily.

Quantum patiently took their orders and left them to their own devices. 

“You know, Alejandra might be on us as soon as she finds out you’re back on your feet, Olie.” Irene said, leaning her elbow against the back of her chair.

“Oh, shit. You’re probably right. She could be here any second and start lecturing us because we dared to try and take a day off.” Olie sighed, rolling her eyes.

Malakai snorted. “She should leave us alone, for today at least. Her getting me the bike after everything I’ve said to her is...a very good sign. Although, I’m kinda surprised it was perfectly intact and she didn’t cut the brakes or somethin’.” 

Quantum returned with their drinks and slid them in front of the four. “Food’s coming soon.” He informed them before he was off again.

“I don’t get how he doesn’t get tired from going back and forth and all around,” Astoria spoke, watching as he disappeared into the back room.

“Yeah, and how he doesn’t burn the food or anything,” Olie added.

“Knowing him, he probably has cameras over the food or some shit so he can check them from here and make sure they’re not burnt,” Malakai said, amusement in his tone.

“Even if he does have that, it’s a wonder he hasn’t set this place on fire. An even bigger wonder is how we’ve never seen him burn a single thing.” Irene sipped her drink.

“There was that one time he lit up my cheeseburger.” Malakai shook his head.

“Oh shit, yeah. Riot sprayed him with the fire extinguisher and he was  _ covered _ in the stuff. He looked like a really sad wet dog.” Irene laughed at the memory, Astoria chuckled at the thought, imagining Quantum’s face.

“But still, it’s pretty impressive that’s the only thing he’s managed to burn over the past eight years,” Malakai said, stirring his drink.

“This place has only been around for eight years? It feels like it should be longer, it has like, an old-ish feel to it.” Olie asked.

Malakai nodded. “Yeah, Riot’s on the old side but he didn’t open the bar until Quantum got older so he could co-own it. He practically raised Quantum in his later years.” 

“Really? How old was he when Riot took him in?”

“He was about...hm, twelve, I think? I’m not really sure, it was somewhere around the time me and Quantum met though.” Malakai shrugged.

“What’s the deal with those two and Mikau anyways? How’d they get wrapped up into the gang?” Astoria raised an eyebrow at Malakai.

“Mikau and Riot both actually worked in law enforcement for a while, they were partners. They saw too much shit and...well, they were given a choice. Join the gang as grunts or die and have everyone they’re associated with die with them. Considering our rep, the threats...weren’t to be taken lightly.” He paused and sipped his drink.

“That happened when I was younger, about fourteen. Quantum’s dad…” He glanced around. “His dad, uh. Bought from us a lot, he was one of our biggest customers...one day he decided not to make payments. One of our sets went over there and boom, he’s dead. Riot was called to clean up the body and all that and he found Quantum hiding in a closet. Rest is history.”

“That’s pretty awful…” Astoria murmured, glancing towards the bar. She saw Riot reach up and throw an arm around Quantum’s shoulders with a grin, dragging the much taller man down to his height. Quantum rolled his eyes but there was a certain fondness to his expression. 

“What about the bar? How’d they come to own it?” Irene asked Malakai.

“Quantum’s father owned the joint. Quantum inherited it when his dad died. Riot offered to help him and they’ve been runnin’ it successfully ever since. They had a few uh...incidents and hired Mikau for security.” Malakai looked a little sheepish.

“You mean all the times  _ you _ got into a fight here?” Irene said drily, her eyebrow raising.

Malakai’s lip twitched. “Okay, not  _ all _ of them were my fights. Some of them were, yeah, but...a lotta the assholes around here deserve it, you know?” He shrugged.

Olie pursed her lips, glancing at him briefly. “I wonder just how many of them deserved it, considering how much you apparently love fighting.”

“Oh come on, I’m working on it.” He protested, looking slightly offended. She smiled and nudged his elbow with her own.

“Hey, uh...are we counting this as our first date?” Astoria suddenly spoke up, wanting to get that off her chest.

“What? The time I almost died at Olie’s work doesn’t count?” Malakai joked, ignoring the glares from Irene and Olie at the casual comment. “In that case, I’m uh, good with counting this as our first date…” He looked down at the table, his eye betraying his nerves.

“Me too.” Irene nodded.

“I’m okay with that.” Olie added in.

“I guess this is our first official date then.” Astoria smiled, glancing at the three individually, watching as their expressions broke out into similar ones.

“No one better fucking interrupt it.”


	40. Chapter XXXX: Olie

_ “...almost lost a few fingers over dinner at Rella’s. It was crazy!”  _ Olie laughed as she retold the story of a disastrous first date with Astoria.

Malakai and Irene both laughed with her and Astoria rolled her eyes, smiling.

“Out of all our dates, I really think that one was the craziest. And that’s saying something.” Astoria snorted.

“Looks like you guys also got up to dangerous and crazy shit on your dates. Me and Irene had some wild ones too.” Malakai said, shoving fries from his plate into his mouth.

“No shit, you almost died the night you decided to finally ask me out.” Irene looked at him.

“You were the one who was all ‘looks like you fell for me’ after I tripped on a rock. If you ask me, you made the first move.” 

“That was more so flirting.” Irene shook her head and threw a fry at him. He moved his head and caught it in his mouth with a familiarity to the move.

“I was gonna! I just...didn’t know how. That could’ve been taking our already dangerous relationship too far, but...I guess me after losing a shit load of blood didn’t care about all that.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m glad.” Irene’s expression softened and she smiled across her table at him. He returned it.

“I’m also glad Olie had the guts to confess that she liked us.” Malakai slid an arm around her shoulders.

She let out a small laugh, looking slightly nervous. “I barely did, honestly. I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t talked to Astoria first...that was a really hard thing to do in itself though. I didn’t want you to feel like I wanted to cheat on you or loved you less or something.” Her gaze went to Astoria as she spoke.

Astoria nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t mind at all because I felt the same. It all really worked out in the end.” 

A comfortable silence fell over the table as they finished eating their food. Malakai looked around after they’d finished, his gaze locking on Quantum. He waved him over.

Quantum walked over. “What’s up?”

“Gimme the check. We’re all done here.” Malakai said to him.

“You don’t want any drinks before you go? I’m kinda surprised.” Quantum raised an eyebrow.

“Normally I’d say yes, but I think I wanna spend the rest of the night relaxing and not being drunk. Plus, my moms probably gonna make us leave to go pick off the Banda’s first thing tomorrow, rather not go into a fight hungover.” He rolled his eye.

Quantum nodded. “Fair enough. You don’t wanna put it on your tab, right?”

“Hold on.” Irene spoke up before Malakai could reply. “You’re not paying. It’s your birthday.” 

“Oh come on. It’s not like it’s a big deal.” Malakai protested.

“It’s not. So don’t turn it into one and let me pay.” 

“Wait, why are you paying? If anyone’s paying, it’s me.” Astoria butted in.

“Okay. Look, I’m paying and that’s all there is to it. I got plenty of money to spare-“

“Kai, it’s your  _ birthday. _ Relax and let people do stuff for you.”

“Right, my birthday, which is exactly why  _ I’m paying.” _

Olie sighed and stood up, jerking her head at Quantum. They walked to the bar and Quantum pulled out the check.

“I’ll be paying.” She smiled at him, glancing over her shoulder at Astoria, Irene, and Malakai who hadn’t noticed she’d left, still arguing lightheartedly with each other.

“It’s on the house. Don’t worry about it.” Quantum returned the smile, ripping the check in half. 

“Seriously? Why didn’t you say that when those three started arguing?” Olie crossed her arms.

Quantum shrugged. “It was amusing. It’s funny how people  _ want _ to pay for stuff when they’re on dates and the lengths they’ll go to just to be able to pay for something like dinner or gifts.”

Olie thought it over for a few seconds before nodding. “Huh...yeah, I guess you’re right.” She said.

“Of course I am. Now go and have a good night and all of you just  _ relax  _ for today. Doctor’s orders. Don’t let anyone interrupt whatever it is you’re gonna do when you get home. Spare me the details.” He waved her off.

“Sure thing. Thanks Q.” She gave him a quick hug which he returned after a moment of hesitation. He nudged her and she walked back to the table.

It had gone oddly quiet. The three stared at her as she sat down again.

“...what?” Olie asked, confused and slightly uncomfortable under their gases.

“You paid.” Malakai said slowly, as if he couldn’t believe what she’d done. Irene shook her head slowly and Astoria looked betrayed.

“We’ve been fucking bamboozled.” She said quietly.

Olie burst out laughing. “Guys...I didn’t pay. Quantum said it’s on the house. Now come on, let’s go back to the mansion.” 

Malakai was the first to stand up, still looking slightly disappointed. Astoria slid out of the booth and Irene followed after her.

“Who’s bike are you goin’ on?” Malakai asked her, opening the door and holding it open.

“I rode on Astoria’s all the time so I’ll go on yours today.” She replied, walking towards the sleek dark red motorcycle.  _ Pretty... _

“Alright.” He walked next to her, waving Astoria and Irene off towards Astoria’s motorcycle. He handed her one of the helmets and put his own on before sitting on the bike.

She followed suit and sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his midsection. He turned his head to the side as he revved the engine loudly.

“All good back there?”

“Yep. I’m ready.”

He kicked the kickstand and glanced around before pulling out of his parking spot and driving onto the road.

The ride was surprisingly smooth, considering Malakai’s driving was normally sharp and fast. She used to wonder how he had gotten his license in the first place before realizing even if he failed the test, his parents were  _ influential. _

He stopped at a light and she looked around the city streets. The roads were busy this time in the afternoon, as well as the sidewalks. 

She got distracted watching a flock of pigeons go wild over a piece of bread and nearly flew off the bike as it started again.

“Fuck, ribs Olie.” Malakai called back in a strained voice as she jumped and tightened her grip around him.

“Sorry. Almost fell off.” She loosened her grip up and leaned forward against his back.

“You sure you’re alright? I can slow down if you want. We’re almost to the mansion anyway.” 

“I’m sure. You’re fine, I just got distracted.” 

Malakai nodded and took a turn, adjusting his grip on the handles of the motorcycle.

She leaned into the turn, glancing behind her as Astoria’s bike appeared in the rear view mirror.

_ I’m definitely getting one of these as soon as I can. I need something to drive anyway after Alejandra scrapped my car… _

Malakai soon pulled into the circular driveway of the mansion and parked a decent distance away from Alejandra’s Lamborghini. Astoria’s bike stopped next to him, and her and Irene got off the motorcycle.

Olie pulled off her helmet as she stood up, setting it near the bike.

“Did I drive okay? I didn’t want you to get sick or anything.” Malakai asked her, his gaze concerned.

“I’m fine, really. It was fun.” She smiled reassuringly at him. He looked relieved and relaxed.

“It’s kinda funny. You’re much more cautious on a motorcycle than in a car and Irene’s the exact opposite way.” Astoria snorted as they made their way towards the mansion.

“I’ve had to listen to Quantum’s speeches about motorcycle safety everytime the topic came up. I’m pretty much hardwired not to be reckless at this point.” Malakai snorted.

“Probably a good thing. If you drove on a motorcycle like you drive cars, you’d probably be dead.” Irene said, amusement in her voice.

“That’s fair.” Malakai shrugged and reached into his pocket for the key to the mansion as they approached the front door.

He jammed the key into the keyhole and opened the door. Olie walked inside and looked around, looking for Alejandra.

She was nowhere to be seen. Olie’s attention was diverted as a loud barking came from upstairs and a white blur shot down the stairs.

Hail jumped on her and she stumbled, falling to the floor. “Ow. Hail!” She turned her head away as the dog began licking her face. 

A much smaller furry head butted her other cheek, an even smaller head following suit.

Hail got off her and jumped up on Malakai, setting his paws on his shoulders. Malakai hugged the wolf dog, petting his fluffy back.

“Hey buddy, I missed you too…holy shit-!” He jumped as Catto suddenly leaped up and perched on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. 

Hail eventually dropped down and trotted over to Astoria and Irene, having calmed down considerably.

Astoria offered Olie a hand and she accepted it, getting off the floor and wiping her face on the inside of her shirt.

“I think they’re happy to see you, Olie.” Irene snorted, petting Hail behind the ears and making his hind leg tap against the ground.

“You think?” Olie shook her head, glancing at the three pets. Astoria plucked Tango off Catto’s back and looked at him.

“How did you get out of your cage again…?” She asked the snake. Tango stared at her, his tongue poked out and stayed out.

“...good answer.” She set him back on Catto and patted him behind his top hat.

“Hey Ast? Why does Tango have a top hat and how the hell does it always stay on his head?” Malakai asked, pulling Catto off his shoulder and into his arms.

“...some questions have no answers.” Astoria replied vaguely. Olie exchanged glances with Irene and shrugged.

“Well...alright.” Malakai accepted the answer. He set Catto on the floor and looked around the house.

“So, we watching a movie?” He said. Nods and mumbles of confirmation arose from the three in front of him.

He led the way through the living room and opened the basement door, walking down the dark steps and hitting the light at the bottom.

“What about popcorn?” Olie asked as they walked to the miniature movie theatre in the basement.

“There’s a mini kitchen in the back, got a shit load of snacks and a microwave in there.” Malakai replied, walking around the many couches to a door in the back of the room.

“That’s...insane. How much did this place even cost? It’s just fucking insane.” Irene looked around.

“Dunno. Many millions probably.” Malakai looked away as he opened the door and switched on a light, lighting up a small white kitchen.

“Funky. My gang's place was free because it was straight up abandoned. It was really shitty when I was younger, of course, but it became liveable after a few years.” Irene hopped up on the counter.

“That place is massive though, it’s like four times the size of this mansion. You guys all mostly live in one place though so you need all that space. Our gangs completely scattered around the city.” Malakai said as he pulled out microwaveable popcorn bags and shoved one of them into the microwave.

“True. What about your gang, Ast?” Irene turned to Astoria, who was once again looking at her phone. She didn’t look up and Olie nudged her with her elbow, making her jump and almost drop her phone.

“Oh, uh….huh?” She looked confused and slightly stressed out. 

Irene looked at her for a long moment. “...Astoria...who have you been texting lately? You’re almost always on your phone and you look worried as hell when you do it.” 

Olie almost hugged her for finally bringing attention to one of the things bothering her for weeks on end. She could see Malakai let out a small relieved sigh and knew he felt the same. 

“It’s...uh...nothing! No one at all. Hey, the popcorn’s done!” She attempted to quickly move around Irene towards the microwave but she stepped in front of Astoria. 

Irene gave her a pleading but determined look. Astoria looked up at the ceiling, her fingers fidgeting. 

“I-okay...um...so, you guys all know about my brother, right?” She said slowly, stuttering a bit at the beginning.

The three nodded, Olie’s brain briefly went to a man who looked like the male version of Astoria. Astoria never talked about him and always deflected the topic if she saw him on the news and changed the channel. 

Olie didn’t know much about him besides what the media reported on. Considering how Astoria, Malakai, and Irene weren’t anything at all like they were portrayed, she didn’t trust what they said about Dara.

“...he wants me to come back to Los Angeles. Apparently our younger sister, Dymera misses me and has been asking about me. For her, I wouldn’t mind going back, not at all. But...I left there for a reason. I don’t want to go back I...I  _ can’t.”  _ She swallowed and her voice, which had been getting stronger as she spoke, broke at the end.

“Too many bad memories there and Dara was...a dick. He always wanted to do shit his way and I didn’t agree with it and I also think he had something to do with B-someone I used to know, disappearing. He’s threatening to send someone after me if I don’t come back...of course he wouldn’t after me himself…” Her voice was bitter at the end.

Silence fell across the room and Astoria rubbed her arm, clearly uncomfortable.

“So...you...you don’t wanna go back, right, Ast?” Malakai asked slowly, breaking the silence.

“No...well...Dymera…” Her hand grabbed onto her arm and her expression tightened up, an internal battle clearly going on in her head.

“I can’t go back.” She eventually said, her voice softening as she shook her head.

“No ones gonna make you go back.” Irene stepped forward and reached up to set her hand on Astoria’s shoulder. “If you wanna stay, it’s okay.” 

Astoria nodded slowly, looking unsure. She glanced away at the microwave.

“Can we...talk about this another time? I just want to relax tonight while we can.” Irene nodded and stepped out of her way.

Malakai turned to Olie, his gaze concerned, he clearly wasn’t happy. Olie gave him a reassuring look, knowing he was worried about Dara sending someone after Astoria.

She knew that if Dara did decide to send someone after Astoria, they wouldn’t have an easy time doing so. They would make sure of it.


	41. Chapter XXXXI: Malakai

_ Malakai yawned as he leaned against the counter of his kitchen. His eye locked on Irene, watching  _ as she cooked breakfast.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” He asked for the umpteenth time. Leaving her to do all the work just didn’t sit right with him.

“Kai. You almost burned down the kitchen trying to cook eggs, there was a literal  _ fire  _ and not the fun kind.” She waved a spatula at him.

He sighed. “That was one time. You won’t even let Olie and Astoria cook! They both literally worked in  _ restaurants.”  _ He gestured to the two who were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee.

“As waiters. Not as...chefs or whatever.” Olie waved him off, drawing a mindless pattern on the wooden table. Astoria nodded tiredly, looking half asleep.

“My point exactly. I’ve seen all three of you try to cook and it’s a disaster. I’m not explaining to your mom why her kitchen is destroyed after you guys try to cook.” Irene returned her attention back to the food.

“Fine, fine.” Malakai gave up and sat down at the kitchen table. 

They hadn’t woken up long ago. The four had watched several awful movies and laughed until they couldn’t breathe. It was easily one of his best birthdays ever, waking up with a sore neck and popcorn in places popcorn should never be, was worth it.

He picked up his mug of coffee and leaned back in his chair, leaning one elbow on the back of it. 

Malakai looked around the kitchen, briefly wondering where his mother was as she hadn’t bothered them all day.  _ She’s probably upstairs with Alexandrite- _

His grip tightened on his mug subconsciously as soon as the thought entered his mind.  _ Right...how could I forget… _

He took a slow, deep breath and sipped his drink, hiding his expression behind his mug as Olie gave him a questioning look.

He smiled at her until she looked away, turning to watch Irene cook.  _ There’s nothing I can do about it...I just hope wherever she is they’re taking care of her. It’s for the best, now she doesn’t have to grow up with mom… _

Malakai turned to Astoria as she pulled out her phone, her eyes scanning over it before she scowled and jammed it back in her pocket.

“Dara?” He asked her. She nodded and let out a groan, resting her forehead against the wooden table.

“He said he sent someone over here...I get why he wants me back, but  _ hell  _ I just want him to fuck off.” She raised her head slightly.

Malakai nodded and reached under the table to set his hand on her knee. “It doesn’t matter who he sends over here. We’ll blow their brains out.”

“Or cut them up,” Olie added.

“Or burn them to death.” Irene set down a plate of pancakes in the middle of the table.

Astoria laughed quietly, straightening up in her chair and smiling genuinely. “I know. I’d do the same for you guys…”

Malakai nodded, reaching for food. “Exactly, so don’t worry about it, and let’s eat.”

  
  
  
  
  


“...where are we going again?” Astoria asked as they sat in the back of the black van.

“To the training area. Believe it or not, we do have a space to train new recruits. I want to show you guys something there.” Quantum replied from the front seat. 

Malakai glanced around the van. It felt like a long time since he’d last been in it. He didn’t miss it as every time they went in the van, it meant they were going to a fight or drug deal.

This time though, the reason they were in the van didn’t seem to be bad. Quantum seemed more excited than anything.

Malakai stretched his arms and used the opportunity to wrap his arm around Astoria’s shoulders as she was sitting next to him.

“Did you really just use ‘the pretend to stretch and put your arm around someone’ tactic?” She asked, leaning against him.

“Maybe.” He replied unashamedly. She laughed quietly and didn’t object. He looked across at Irene and Olie, who were sitting across from them.

Olie was staring at the metal designs on the floor and messing with the zipper on her jacket. Irene had shifted and dropped her head on Olie’s shoulder, her eyes shut.

Malakai looked out of the front window, watching as the van drove to a quieter part of the city. The car pulled up to what looked to be an office building with heavily tinted windows.

Malakai stood up when the van stopped in a parking spot. Astoria followed after him and Olie nudged Irene awake.

He shoved the door open and looked around at the darkening sky. His hand reached for his belt, his hand closing around the familiar grip of his gun.

Quantum hopped out of the van and headed towards the building and the four followed after him.

He placed his hand against a scanner next to the black front door and opened it for them. Malakai glanced around the building, he hadn’t been there for a while. 

It looked like an office on the inside as well, with a dull blue carpet and bright ceiling lights. Quantum walked to the elevator and opened it, stepping inside. The inside was made entirely with one-way glass.

“Is anyone else here today?” Malakai asked, looking at the massive empty rooms filled with training dummy’s as the elevator descended.

“Tuz is here with their set, they’re seeing how the new recruits are doing,” Quantum replied as the elevator stopped and opened.

“Hm,” Malakai grunted, exiting the elevator and walking towards where his friend was standing with a man.

“...is okay, but your sister needs a lot of work, where did you two say you’re from again?” Tuz looked down at the man, gaze carefully neutral. 

The man opened his mouth to respond before turning around as Tuz waved to Malakai.

“Ay, Malakai. Come down to test some new toys ‘n shit?” Tuz grinned at him. 

“Not me, pretty sure it’s for Olie.” He gestured to Olie as she walked up next to him with Irene. She nodded at his words, her eyes drifted over to the man and she paused, her gaze darkening.

“Oh yeah! This is Isiah Rillek. Him and his sister Caroline are the new recruits your mom wanted on my set.” Tuz shoved the guy forward when he didn’t say anything. He was staring at something behind Malakai, his eyes wide.

Malakai followed his gaze slowly, seeing him staring at Astoria.  _ Is that why…?  _ He glanced at Olie, seeing her gaze harden into a glare. Irene looked between Olie, Isiah and Astoria, her eyes widening slightly as she caught on.

Astoria was completely oblivious to the man staring at her. Quantum was talking to her and handing her several small knives.

The silence in the room allowed his words to drift over to the group. “...they’d be good for you. Give them a try.”

Astoria nodded, her eyes locking on a training dummy at the other end of the room. She shifted several of the knives in one hand and pulled her arm back before snapping it forward, sending the knives flying. The knives hit their mark perfectly, one in the forehead, the other in the neck, and the third in the chest.

Astoria smiled, looking satisfied. “Hell yeah. These are great…” She walked over and retrieved the knives. When she turned around, she finally noticed everyone was now staring at her.

“Um…” She looked mildly uncomfortable and slowly walked over, standing next to Irene. “Did I interrupt something?” She asked.

“No, no. Not at all. That was a perfect shot.” Isiah stepped forward and spoke before any of them could respond.

Astoria looked at him and her expression tightened, looking confused, like she recognized him from somewhere. “Thank you…”

“Isiah. I’m new to the gang. You’re Astoria Rune, you were one of the leaders of the Ultio’s.” He offered a hand for her to shake and she hesitantly took it.

“Right...I was…” She said slowly, suspicion beginning to deep into her voice. “Do I know you…?”

“Oh no. Sorry, that was a little weird...I...I know a lot about all of you. I’ve always been interested in gangs, it’s fascinating.” He finally released her hand.

“Yeah, well. Lot of the shit you think you know is probably wrong. If you got your info from the news or the internet or whatever.” Malakai stepped closer to him. He gave him a hard stare and Isiah’s eyes widened slightly.

“They certainly didn’t show you having an eyepatch…” He said quietly. Malakai’s shoulders tensed further and he swallowed. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, not knowing how to respond.

“Right. What made you want to join anyway? My mom offer you something? You see too much? Or are you a rat lookin’ to take us out.” 

“A rat? No, no...my sister and I are in desperate need of money, we just did smaller illegal favors before. We caught your mom’s attention and she asked us to join...how could we say no to an offer like that?” Isiah replied.

Malakai studied him before grunting. “Just because you’re new and my mom personally recruited you doesn’t mean anyone’s gonna go easy on you or you’re sister. You better prove yourselves quickly if you wanna stay around here.”

Isiah nodded, his gaze darkening slightly. He looked like he wanted to speak but stayed silent.

Malakai continued studying him, assessing him quickly. The man was short, several inches shorter than Olie, even. He was on the skinnier side and had tan skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. 

A woman walked into the room, looking like the female version of him, but she was a few inches taller and her eyes were reddish-brown. 

“Took you long enough, Carol. Get your gun ready and try again, that aim was horrific…” Tuz pushed the two to the side of the room. Caroline turned around and gave them a glare as her gaze swept over them.

“I don’t like ‘em.” Malakai said bluntly, not bothering to lower his voice at all. Olie looked like she was gonna protest before she let out a long sigh.

“Yeah. I don’t like them either…really don’t like the way he was looking at Astoria...that was kinda creepy.” She shook her head.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on them…” Malakai muttered.

“How long was he looking at me for? I felt someone staring at me but I figured it was one of you guys or Quantum.” Astoria asked.

“Too long.” Irene replied, her eyes following Isiah and Caroline.

“Olie. You mentioned that you lost your last knife, so…” They turned around at Quantum’s voice. He had a long black case in his hands.

He stood in front of Olie and opened the case. Inside it was a pair of thick, black gloves. 

Olie looked confused. “Go on, put them on.” Quantum prompted her, raising the box slightly. She did as told and put the gloves on. 

“Everyone stand back. Olie keep your hands at your sides, knuckles facing down and flex your fingers as fast as you can.” Quantum stepped back.

Olie nodded and quickly flexed her fingers. Four silver wires shot out from either hand. They hung from Olie’s fingers and about a foot of wire dragged on the floor.

“Holy shit...what are these…?” Olie’s voice was breathless with awe.

“Razor wire gloves. The wires themselves are made with a mixture of diamond and titanium, they’re sharp enough to cut concrete like butter...as well as other things like flesh and bone.” His lip twitched into a small smile. “The gloves are kevlar, polyethylene, and polyvinyl acetate so you don’t accidentally slash yourself when retracting them.”

“How did you make that? How did you melt fuckin diamo-where did you even  _ get _ diamond?” Malakai sputtered, looking at the gloves but keeping his distance.

“That’s irrelevant. Anyway. In between each of your knuckles is a small device not unlike a measuring tape to reel in the wires. It’s hooked up around the inside of the glove to trigger whenever you flex your fingers a certain way. Clench your hands into a fist.” Quantum gestures for Olie to try.

She clenched her fists and the wires shot back into the gloves with a  _ ziirrrp _ noise. 

“Quantum...these are amazing! I can’t wait to use them, holy shit!” Olie grinned excitedly, going to hug Quantum. He jumped back.

“Woah, uh. Don’t hug me with those on, just in case they trigger…” He laughed nervously. 

“Oh, yeah…” Olie nodded sheepishly.

“I have something else, hold on…” Quantum left the room and returned quickly. “Irene, you mentioned you wanted two guns for your flamethrower so...here you are. I made some adjustments though, it’s more of a flame shooter now...the bullets explode into a small ball of Greek Fire when they hit their target. The flames are near impossible to put out, water won’t work and neither will flour or anything like that. They’ll need to use a fire extinguisher and even then, they’ll have trouble putting out the fire.” 

Quantum handed her two black guns. The tank that went on her back was smaller and full of small black balls instead of oil. The hoses that went around her back and attached to the guns were thinner as well. 

“Oh  _ fuck _ yeah.” Irene grabbed it and put it on, her eyes gleaming excitedly.

“Fuck Quantum, I didn’t think you’d make all of this. It’s amazing.” Malakai patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t think I forgot you…” He left the room briefly again and returned with a large gun. It was painted the same crimson red as Malakai’s desert eagle. The magazine jutted out on the side of the gun rather than under it.

“Is that…?” Malakai looked at the gun with a wide eye.

“A sterling submachine gun, specifically the 9mm C1? Yes.” He held out the gun to Malakai, looking proud.

“How did you…? They don’t even make these in the country…” Malakai grabbed the gun, looking it over.

“Malakai. I  _ make _ weapons. It doesn’t matter where the weapons originally came from. I just need some info on them and boom. Made them here…” He smiled.

“Shit Quantum…I’ve fuckin’ wanted this gun forever.” Malakai said softly.

“You liked it because you saw it in a video game.” Quantum deadpanned.

“It was my favorite game! It’s from my childhood!” Malakai defended himself. Quantum laughed and opened his mouth to respond when everyone’s phone suddenly buzzed.

Malakai shifted his gun in one arm and grabbed for his phone, pulling it out of his jeans and looking at the text there.

**Mom**

**Now**

**The Banda’s are launching an all-out attack. They’ve taken out four sets already. Everyone report to The Chaos immediately, they’re looking for us as we speak. They’ve taken over the mansion. Don’t attempt to take it back.**

Malakai swallowed. “Everyone else seeing what I’m seeing…?” He didn’t look up from the phone as he heard mumbles of agreement. He took a deep breath. 

“Okay. Tuz, get these two to The Chaos. Be ready to fight for your lives at any second, keep your guns out.” Tuz nodded and headed towards the door, pulling an MPX off their back, gripping it tightly.

Malakai turned around. “Quantum. Get the car ready.” Quantum nodded and ran out of the room.    
  
He took a deep breath. “Last chance for you guys to back out of being a part of this shit. This battle’s only gonna end when one side’s destroyed. There’s a fifty percent chance that side is us.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Irene nudged him, leaning one of the guns over her shoulder. 

“We’re in this together, Kai. We’ve already gotten shot and gotten our asses kicked for each other.” Astoria shrugged, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“This isn’t any different. The odds are just...a lot worse.” Olie gave a weak laugh.

Malakai nodded, not feeling the need to argue as it would be futile. “Let’s go kick ass then.” 


End file.
